Ilha Grande from Rio de Janeiro

At a glance

Why people go to Ilha Grande

The island and Paraty together form the UNESCO World Heritage site “Paraty and Ilha Grande: Culture and Biodiversity”, inscribed in 2019. On the island side it includes Ilha Grande State Park and the Praia do Sul Biological Reserve. Most visitors stay in Vila do Abraão, the main village, and spend their days on beaches, forest trails and boat trips around the bay.

How to get from Rio to Ilha Grande

There is no road onto the island. You go by land to a pier on the mainland and cross by boat. Barcas Rio runs two ferry lines to Vila do Abraão, and both crossings take up to 110 minutes:

Schooners and speedboats also cross from other piers along the coast. We check the times and the boat for your dates before we send the proposal. Long-distance buses from Rio reach the piers too, but with luggage and a boat change a private transfer from your hotel or from the airport is the easier option. See our Rio airport transfer page if you are landing and heading straight to the coast.

Day trip or overnight

A day trip from Rio is possible. The catch is time: the road and the two crossings take up most of the day, and you get only a few hours on the island. We recommend at least one night, two if you want a trail and a boat outing. Another option is to see the bay from the water on a private boat with a skipper: Angra dos Reis boat trip.

Ilha Grande also fits into a longer route along the coast with Paraty, which is farther down the same road: Paraty from Rio.

Tourism tax in Angra dos Reis

Since June 2026 Angra dos Reis charges visitors a Taxa de Turismo Sustentável (TTS), and Ilha Grande is one of the destinations it covers.

• The amount depends on your profile and destination and is shown in the city’s simulator.
• Children under 12 and visitors over 60 are exempt.
• The voucher is sold online at tts.vivaangra.com.br, but according to the portal foreign visitors and exempt children go in person to an agent or a cashier.

We include the tax rules for your dates in the proposal.

Rules on the island

There are no cars in Vila do Abraão and the streets are sand, so you walk or take a boat. The Praia do Sul Biological Reserve is closed to tourism: Brazilian law (Lei 9.985/2000, art. 10) bans public visits to biological reserves except for educational purposes under specific rules.

What we arrange

• A private transfer from your hotel in Rio or the airport to the pier and back.
• The boat to Vila do Abraão at a time that fits your plan.
• A room on the island for your budget.
• A boat trip or a hike with a guide who speaks your language.
• One contact for the whole trip: our team answers in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Our fee is already included in the price. Terms and payment are set out in the proposal; you pay nothing before you confirm. If you want Rio plus the coast in one plan, see private trips in Rio.

Cancellation and changes

A one-day trip can be cancelled at no cost up to 48 hours before, a trip with nights up to 14 days before. You can move the date once at no cost with 48 hours’ notice if the provider has another date. If a provider lets you down, we find a replacement or refund your deposit in full. If weather stops the boats, you get a new date or a full refund of the deposit.

What to tell us in your request

• Your dates and whether you want a day trip or nights on the island
• How many travelers, and the ages of any children
• Where we pick you up: hotel in Rio or the airport
• The kind of room you want and your budget
• What you want to do: beaches, a trail, a boat trip
• The language of your guide

Check entry requirements on official websites before you travel.