Ilhabela, Sao Sebastiao Island – 16th March 2011- Day 13

Ilhabela, located on the north coast of San Paulo state, is one of Brazil’s largest ocean islands and is said to be one of the most beautiful spots on the coast between Santos and Rio de Janiero.

It has volcanic origins with startling mountains that rise to 1370m and are covered with dense, tropical foliage.  The dozens of waterfalls and beautiful beaches, along the 80 miles of coastline, have contributed to the island’s popularity.

Unfortunately, it rained most of the day – we went ashore and took a bus ride down the western coast but were not able to appreciate the real beauty of the island’s beaches.  However, we were able to see the lushness of the island, in particular when the bus took us up into the hills a bit – this part reminded us a lot of Grenada, with its thick dense foliage.