The best beaches on the Costa Verde
The 12 beaches that define the Costa Verde, from Lopes Mendes to Bonete: what sets each one apart and how to get there, whether by trail, boat or car.
Read article · 8 min readExperience Guide
The Hostel da Vila guide to Brazil’s Costa Verde
Costa Verde
The coast between Rio and São Paulo: itineraries, costs, best season and planning.
The best hikes on the Costa Verde
The 8 hikes that sum up the Costa Verde: Pico do Papagaio, the Bonete traverse, Pão de Açúcar do Mamanguá and more, with difficulty, time and what you see.
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Best time to visit the Costa Verde
Best time for the Costa Verde, season by season: summer rain, the dry winter with whales, FLIP and Sailing Week in 2026 and how prices move through the year.
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The best waterfalls on the Costa Verde
The best waterfalls of Ilhabela, Paraty, Trindade and Ilha Grande: Água Branca, Toca, Tobogã, Pedra que Engole and Feiticeira, with access and what to expect.
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What to do between São Paulo and Rio beyond the two cities
Between SP and Rio lies an entire coastline the air shuttle skips: Paraty, Ilha Grande, Ubatuba and Ilhabela. What to do along the way, by type of traveler.
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The perfect 10 day Costa Verde itinerary
Ten days between Rio and São Paulo, in blocks: three nights on Ilha Grande, Paraty with half a day in Mamanguá, a night in Trindade, Ubatuba and two days in Ilhabela.
Read article · 9 min readIlhabela
Beaches, trails, waterfalls and itineraries on Brazil’s largest sea island.
The best bars in Ilhabela: the night mapped by region and style
Ilhabela's bars by region and style: the Vila waterfront, the live music houses, the beach kiosks and our group's two bars in the forest. No clubs, plenty of charm.
Read article · 7 min readThe best beaches in Ilhabela for couples (and where to end the day)
Ilhabela beaches for a trip as a couple: the calmest sands, the right sunset spots on the channel and how to close the night in the historic center.
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Ilhabela beaches to visit with kids: the ones that actually work
The best beaches in Ilhabela for families: calm sea, shade, bathrooms nearby and honest warnings about shore breaks, the borrachudo fly and holiday crowds.
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The best hikes in Ilhabela, from the easiest to the toughest
The hikes worth doing in Ilhabela: Baepi peak, the southern crossing, Água Branca, Cachoeira do Gato and more, with honest difficulty and real times.
Read article · 7 min readWhere to watch the sunset in Ilhabela: the spots locals use
The spots where the Ilhabela sunset really delivers: the Vila waterfront, channel beaches, viewpoints and the right time in each season, by people who live here.
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Best time to visit Ilhabela: the whole year explained
Ilhabela month by month: rainy, pricey summer, ideal April and May, a winter of whales and Sailing Week. By people who live the island's weather every day.
Read article · 8 min readParaty & Ilha Grande
The historic center, wild beaches and everything between Paraty bay and Ilha Grande.
Aventureiro beach: a guide to Ilha Grande's most protected village
How to visit Aventureiro in 2026: the free permit in Angra, the visitor cap, the caiçara campsites, the leaning coconut palm and what to actually expect.
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Best time to visit Ilha Grande: the island's year, month by month
April to September rains less, summer is packed and pricey, winter has the clearest sea of the year. Ilha Grande's honest calendar, with New Year's and Carnival.
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Best time to visit Paraty: the whole year, month by month
Paraty month by month: January's 500 mm of rain, the tide that comes into the streets, FLIP and the 2026 Cachaça Festival, and the months we would pick for you.
Read article · 7 min readThe best tours in Paraty: a ranking by people who work on this sea
An honest ranking of Paraty's tours: the overnight expedition, the day-trip schooner, Mamanguá, Trindade, the Caminho do Ouro, distilleries and Praia do Sono.
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Dois Rios beach: the hike, the prison ruins and the nearly empty beach
How to walk from Abraão to Dois Rios, what remains of the prison demolished in 1994, UERJ's Museu do Cárcere and the beach between two rivers few people see.
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Enseada da Cajaíba: everything you need to know
The roadless coast south of Paraty: Praia Grande da Cajaíba, the waterfall, Dona Dica's stingray pastel, Pouso, Martim de Sá and snorkeling at Ilha dos Meros.
Read article · 7 min readWhich to choose?
Ilhabela, Paraty or Ilha Grande? Honest comparisons to pick your destination.
What is the best Costa Verde destination for backpackers?
Ilhabela, Paraty or Ilha Grande on a backpack? Beds from R$ 46, a free walk-on ferry, trails with no entry fee and the daily cost of each, with an honest winner.
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What is the best Costa Verde destination for couples?
Ilhabela, Paraty or Ilha Grande as a couple? A winner with the reasoning, alternatives by couple style and the plan that combines it all, by hosts of couples.
Read article · 7 min readWhat is the best Costa Verde destination for families?
Ilhabela, Paraty or Ilha Grande with kids? A winner with the reasoning, honest warnings about steep shorebreaks, trails and ferry lines, and the right age for each.
Read article · 7 min readIlha Grande or Paraty?
Ilha Grande or Paraty? Wild beaches against a colonial center, criterion by criterion, by a crew that works the bay of both. Plus the insider way to skip choosing.
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Is Ilhabela worth adding to a Rio de Janeiro itinerary?
In Rio and thinking of pushing on to Ilhabela? The honest answer from island residents: only with 3 spare days. The Rio-Santos route, costs and what you gain.
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Ilhabela or Ilha Grande?
Ilhabela or Ilha Grande? Beaches, trails, infrastructure, cost and access compared by a team that lives on one and anchors at the other, verdict by profile.
Read article · 8 min readAdventure & Nature
Diving, snorkeling, viewpoints, marine life and sustainable travel on the Costa Verde.
The best boat tours on the Costa Verde
An honest ranking of Costa Verde boat trips: overnight expeditions, the schooners of Paraty and Angra, private speedboats and Ilhabela's boats, with 2026 prices.
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The best diving spots on the Costa Verde
Where to dive on the Costa Verde: the wrecks of Ilhabela and Angra, Ilha das Cabras, Ilha Anchieta, first dives, visibility season and what to honestly expect.
Read article · 8 min readThe best viewpoints on the Costa Verde
Baepi, the Coração viewpoint, Pico do Papagaio, Mamanguá's Sugarloaf and the Rio-Santos roadside lookouts: how much effort each view charges and what it pays back.
Read article · 8 min readHow to plan a Costa Verde adventure trip
The Costa Verde adrenaline itinerary: Pico do Papagaio before dawn, the Bonete crossing, snorkeling, kayaking and the boat expedition as the week's sea block.
Read article · 7 min readPerfect destinations for nature lovers
The Costa Verde's nature sanctuaries: the state parks of Ilhabela, Ilha Grande and Anchieta, Serra da Bocaina, Trindade and Mamanguá. Forest, wildlife and silence.
Read article · 7 min readPerfect destinations for ocean lovers
Sailing on the Ilhabela channel, surfing Maresias and Itamambuca, snorkeling the Ilha Grande lagoons, whales in winter and life on board: an ocean lover's Costa Verde.
Read article · 8 min readHostel Life
How hostels work, solo travel, budget tips and meeting people on the road.
Are dorm rooms worth it?
The real math of the dorm, what money can't buy, who dorms are for and who they aren't. By people running a hostel for 10 years and 65,000 guests.
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Are hostels safe?
The number one question from first-time hostel guests, answered by people who have hosted travelers for 10 years: lockers, staff, reviews and what can go wrong.
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The best Costa Verde destinations for couples
Romantic experiences by destination: sunset over the channel, dinner in Paraty, a cabin on the expedition and a dome with a view. Build the trip scene by scene.
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Hostel, guesthouse or hotel: which should you choose?
An honest comparison of price, privacy, social life and service across the 3 formats, by people who have run a hostel for 10 years. And the hybrid option.
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Are hostels still worth it after 30?
Yes, with the right choices. After 10 years running a hostel, we share the real ages of our guests and why the measure is the house's vibe, not your ID.
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How does a hostel work?
The beginner's manual by hosts of 10 years: dorms and private rooms, bathrooms, the shared kitchen, what is included, etiquette and check-in.
Read article · 7 min readOur Experiences
Hostel da Vila, the Albatroz boat and the Green Coast Experience from the inside.
The itinerary that combines beach, nature, adventure and nightlife on the Costa Verde
Seven days across Ilhabela, Paraty and Ilha Grande: a base at Hostel da Vila, a crossing and an expedition aboard the Albatroz. Our house's signature itinerary.
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Costa Verde Experience: a new way to travel the Brazilian coast
What the Costa Verde Experience is: traveling the coast between Rio and São Paulo as one continuous experience of forest, sea, village, night and crossing.
Read article · 7 min readHow to explore the Costa Verde without driving
Bus to the ferry, a free crossing on foot, a base in the historic center and a boat that solves the rest: why traveling the Costa Verde without driving is a choice.
Read article · 8 min readWhat to expect from the Hostel da Vila experience
Domes with a view, treehouses, a kombi, a sailboat and a lighthouse on 8,000 m² in Ilhabela's historic center. The honest guide to our house.
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How the Hostel da Vila weekly schedule works
Morning yoga, climbing, sea and trail by day, nights between the Floresta and Na Moita. The shape of our living week in Ilhabela, with no rigid timetable.
Read article · 8 min readWhy choose a hostel even when traveling as a couple?
A dome with a view, a treehouse, a 32°C pool in winter and social life that is always optional. The honest case for couples sleeping at a hostel in Ilhabela.
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