Brazilian Beaches

Ultimately, our time at Iguassu Falls ran out. I was gutted to be leaving Foz du Iguassu, a town which does not have much to offer, but leaving the breath taking Iguassu Falls, knowing that I may never have the opportunity to visit again was something to lament.

No matter, the beautiful coastal town of Paraty would take my mind off it. With its myriad old Portuguese colonial buildings, complete with brightly coloured doors and window shutters, hanging baskets, cobblestone streets (which flood daily at high tide in some areas of the town) and its wealth of fun filled activities, it is an understandably popular spot with locals and tour groups alike, which has fortunately managed so far to retain its old charm and character.

An early morning spent kayaking in the millpond bay, around a small island dense with tropical vegetation (and the owner’s washing line!), followed by an afternoon of horse riding up into the hills for magnificent views of the bay, even on a cloudy, rainy day, set us all up with a huge appetite for a fantastic home cooked meal courtesy of some of our more culinary minded group members!

The nature of these tours as I have come to learn however, is that there is never enough time – days are filled with activities, nights with too much good food and parties and all too soon it is time to move onto the next destination.

Fortunately for us, our next port of call was a little splash of paradise in the Atlantic, just south of the Rio coastline, the stunning Illa Grande.

Arriving in the boat, you would be forgiven for thinking you had just arrived in the Ko Phi Phi (Thailand) of 20 years ago. Illa Grande, though much bigger, boasts the same aquamarine waters, crystal clear and teeming with life, the same white sand beaches, sweeping hills lush and rich with tropical vegetation. When we finally docked, the picture could not have been more different. Absent were the drunken gap year students, the crazy party bars and the constant hum of a party, which have their place. I am just glad Illa Grande is not that place. The strict planning laws have ensured that Illa Grande has not yet and hopefully never will follow Ko Phi Phi down the path towards being the 24 hour party island.

All the same, Illa Grande does not shut down at night. There are parties to be found, but they do not dominate the island and its primary draw remains its unspoilt beaches, notably the truly beautiful Lopes Mendes. A two and a half hour hike from the main town through dense forest is the only route by land as there are no motorised vehicles on the island. The beach itself is part of a marine reserve, so if you wish to get there by boat, you must dock at the nearest beach, a 20 minute walk to Lopes Mendes. It is worth the hike though, two and a half sweaty hours later, the weary legs are greeted by white sand; clean and almost powder like; roaring green surf and for us anyway, an almost deserted beach. Summer brings the crowds and of course the surfers, but late afternoon on a winter’s day, meant the entire beach was our own private playground.

Did I mention parties? Our second day in Illa Grande was spent aboard a gorgeous little schooner, although I suspect it is a long time since she travelled anywhere under sail. The Caiprinha boat as she was more frequently referred to, took us on a day long cruise around the island, stopping at various beaches and snorkelling spots, for some fun, food and of course … Caiprinhas! After almost 25 days of hectic travel, it was just what the doctor ordered. Some one had also conveniently remembered to order the sun and the afternoon was spent basking in glorious sunshine as we ate more than our body weights in barbequed meat, fresh crispy salads and fabulous garlic bread, all washed down with … its getting old now, isn’t it? Caiprinhas!

Arriving back into the port in the late afternoon, we said goodbye to the caiprinha boat and headed back to the hotel to rest up for the following day’s boat and bus trip to Rio de Janeiro. That might be a little white lie, the party may have continued into the wee small hours, and 9 very weary souls may have boarded the scene of the crime the following morning bound for the mainland and Rio. One thing is for sure, nothing was going to prevent us from enjoying our time in Rio. A few hours rest and we would all be ready to go again!