Angra dos Reis Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/angra-dos-reis/ Blog of a Traveling Coffee Addict Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:42:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://i0.wp.com/caffeinatedexcursions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wp-1555570621336.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Angra dos Reis Archives - Caffeinated Excursions https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/tag/angra-dos-reis/ 32 32 141833777 Day Trip From Angra dos Reis To Abraão, Ilha Grande: What To Expect https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/day-trip-from-angra-dos-reis-to-abraao-ilha-grande-what-to-expect/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/day-trip-from-angra-dos-reis-to-abraao-ilha-grande-what-to-expect/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2020 03:00:00 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=12622 Ilha Grande is a scenic destination in Brazil between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. If you're traveling from one of these cities to the other, be sure to schedule a stop at this beautiful spot known for its stunning beaches! This post explains how to visit the island's main town in a single day, including how to buy ferry tickets.

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Day Trip From Angra dos Reis To Abraão, Ilha Grande: What To Expect

Day Trip From Angra dos Reis To Abraão, Ilha Grande: What To Expect

Published September 20, 2020

Ilha Grande is a popular day trip from Rio de Janeiro known for its beaches, green mountains, hiking, and the fact that the island has no cars. Anyone traveling between São Paulo and Rio with an extra day to spare should stop for a visit because Ilha Grande is directly in between the two cities!

As its name implies, Ilha Grande is pretty big. The island is also mostly undeveloped, so getting between the different beaches can be tricky without a boat and local guide. With that said, one of the easiest ways to visit in just one day is to take the ferry from Angra dos Reis on the mainland to Abraão, which is the largest village on the island. After you arrive, you’ll have a number of beaches to choose from, restaurants to eat at, and more.

This blog post will explain what you can expect to see on a day trip to Abraão, as well as how to get there. To skip directly to the logistical information, click or tap here!

How To Spend a Day in Abraão

If you do a day trip to Ilha Grande, you’ll probably have about five or six hours there unless you take a very early boat in the morning. These were the activities I had time to do.

A short hike in Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande

Directly to the northwest of town is a small hiking loop which you should check out if the weather is good. It’s located right inside the border of Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande (Ilha Grande State Park), which covers a large portion of the island. This particular loop is great because it takes less than an hour and features a couple of beaches, some wooded paths, colonial ruins, and an old aqueduct.

Note that if you cross under the aqueduct and keep going, you’ll be leaving the loop that will bring you back into town. Signs indicate that this separate trail leads to a waterfall, but someone heading that way told me that it was about a 90-minute hike each way.

Lunch

By the time I finished my walk, I was ready to eat! I didn’t do a ton of research about restaurants and just stopped at one of the first places I saw on the beach: Ateliê Cafeteria. They had a nice vibe as well as semi-outdoor seating on a patio.

I ordered a sandwich with salad and potatoes which was pretty good. They also have a large selection of coffee drinks, including boozy options!

Although this was the only restaurant I got a chance to try in Abraão, most choices looked pretty standard: pizza places, seafood, burgers, etc. The majority of dining options looked casual.

A mural street

If you walk along Rua Getúlio Vargas around this location, you’ll notice dozens of different murals painted on the concrete wall adjacent to the street. Because this collection of street art isn’t right on the beach, it wasn’t overrun with people trying to take pictures. Be sure to check it out!

After wandering along the beach, doing the hike mentioned above, having lunch, and admiring the street art, it was already getting late in the afternoon. I picked up a couple souvenirs, bought a quick snack, and headed back to the pier to return to Angra dos Reis.

The general vibe

All in all, Abraão is pretty much what you’d expect: a small town with lots of restaurants, gift shops, and hotels. The actual town itself is honestly beside the point, and the main reason people come over to Ilha Grande is for its beaches.

The boat ride to and from Abraão is also part of the experience, and the next section will explain how to book your trip.

Logistical Info

The most difficult part of getting to Ilha Grande is choosing a ferry service. From Angra dos Reis, the number of companies offering boat tours and water taxis can be a little overwhelming. One option is a very economical public ferry, but in addition to being slow, it appeared to only depart once a day. I decided to book a round-trip ticket from a private company called Agência Angra dos Reis Turismo.

Their office can be found right here, and their vessels depart from Estação Santa Luzia, the dock on the other side of the street. The boat to Abraão, which left in the morning, took about half an hour from Angra dos Reis.

A round-trip ticket cost 100 BRL as of September 2020, and the return trip was scheduled for 5:00 in the afternoon. It’s important to be on the dock in Abraão on time: if you miss it, you’ll probably be stuck on the island until the next morning!

The Agência Angra dos Reis Turismo staff were friendly and helpful and appeared to be able to speak English and Spanish in addition to Portuguese. Although I didn’t inquire, I’m sure that they would also offer one-way tickets or a return trip scheduled for a different day. If you have the time, a night or two on Ilha Grande could allow you to schedule some tours to some other beaches on the island.

A Day Trip Not to Be Missed

Once you decide which company you want to purchase your ferry tickets from, getting to Abraão should be pretty straightforward. Ilha Grande is one of the region’s most famous destinations, and it’s not hard to see why! (Another option, if you prefer a town with a more historic vibe, is Paraty.)

Since many of the companies offering ferry service to Ilha Grande also offer boat tours and island hopping day trips, you’ll also want to keep this in mind. To read a review of the boat tour I did, click here. If you’re wondering about the town of Angra dos Reis and why I didn’t love it, be sure to check out this blog post.

Have you ever been to Ilha Grande before? Did you stay in Abraão or visit another part of the island? Let me know in the comments below! I hope this blog post helps clear up any confusion other travelers may have and that you have an amazing time if you’re headed this way!

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This blog post will explain how you can visit the famous Brazilian destination of Ilha Grande in just one day! Because this island is located between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, it's the perfect place to stop if you're traveling between the two cities! #ilhagrande #abraao #abraão #abraãoilhagrande #ilhagrandeabraão #angradosreis #angra #angrarj #angradosreisrj #abraãorj #ilhagranderj #angradosreisilhagrande #ilhagrandeangradosreis #riodejaneiro #brazil #rio #riodejaneirobrasil #brasil This blog post will explain how you can visit the famous Brazilian destination of Ilha Grande in just one day! Because this island is located between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, it's the perfect place to stop if you're traveling between the two cities! #ilhagrande #abraao #abraão #abraãoilhagrande #ilhagrandeabraão #angradosreis #angra #angrarj #angradosreisrj #abraãorj #ilhagranderj #angradosreisilhagrande #ilhagrandeangradosreis #riodejaneiro #brazil #rio #riodejaneirobrasil #brasil

This post was published on Sept 20, 2020

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

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The post Day Trip From Angra dos Reis To Abraão, Ilha Grande: What To Expect appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

]]> https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/day-trip-from-angra-dos-reis-to-abraao-ilha-grande-what-to-expect/feed/ 6 12622 How NOT To Visit Angra dos Reis: I Did It All Wrong So You Don’t Have To https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/how-not-to-visit-angra-dos-reis-i-did-it-all-wrong-so-you-dont-have-to/ https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/how-not-to-visit-angra-dos-reis-i-did-it-all-wrong-so-you-dont-have-to/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2020 03:00:46 +0000 https://caffeinatedexcursions.com/?p=12548 I recently spent two weeks in the town Angra dos Reis, and I have to admit right away that this is my first truly negative travel blog post. Angra was just such a weird town to visit (and not in a good way). Despite being a popular tourist destination in the state of Rio de Janeiro...

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How NOT To Visit Angra dos Reis: I Did It All Wrong So You Don’t Have To

How NOT To Visit Angra dos Reis: I Did It All Wrong So You Don’t Have To

Published September 17, 2020

I recently spent two weeks in the town Angra dos Reis, and I have to admit right away that this is my first truly negative travel blog post. Angra was just such a weird town to visit (and not in a good way). Despite being a popular tourist destination in the state of Rio de Janeiro, there was very little to do there and the town lacked a sense of charm.

However, Angra dos Reis is the nearest city on the Brazilian mainland to Ilha Grande, a very famous tourist destination known for its beaches, hiking, and nature reserves. In between Angra and Isla Grande lie hundreds of tiny islands. These islands have some world-class beaches, which is why so many tourists flock to the region, not because of the town itself. Don’t just assume that Angra dos Reis is a gorgeous waterfront town. It’s not.

One of the main roads in Angra dos Reis. Not exactly picturesque...

This post will start with a brutally honest review of Angra dos Reis and what you can expect if you do decide to stay there. That section ends on a good note, with a mention of the one part of town I really did enjoy and recommend checking out if you have time. After that, you can find some tips on how to make the most out of a visit to the area!

All About Angra dos Reis

Overall, this medium-sized town left a lot to be desired. There just wasn’t anything interesting, curious, or out-of-the-ordinary that I was able to find there. Here are some specific issues I had.

The Town Vibe

The town center was pretty busy but it seemed to lack any unique restaurants or shops that would pique a visitor’s interest. The area had a little bit of a run-down feeling, although I never felt unsafe walking around during the day or the early evening.

As mentioned above, the waterfront views here just aren’t spectacular. The center of Angra dos Reis is surrounded on three sides by green mountains, but these are home to what appear to be favelas. It’s clear from the way they look that you probably don’t want to venture too far up the hills, especially on foot.

I'm not sure if these neighborhoods technically get the label of 'favela,' but I would steer clear of them regardless.

A Main Highlight of Angra: A Shopping Mall...

One of the main points of interest in Angra is a mall called Shopping Piratas. Shopping Piratas is nice enough and offers a couple of different dining options in a food court setting, but it’s hardly an amazing mall and it definitely feels like a throwback to the 1990s.

The one interesting thing about Shopping Piratas is that the mall is right on the water and is connected to a small marina. Since the mall has a grocery store, it’s an easy place for boat owners to stock up on food and drinks for a day out on the water.

A Lack of Dining Options

I would frankly be a lot less critical of the town if there were at least some interesting places to eat. Unfortunately, Angra dos Reis has a major lack of restaurant choices. Shopping Piratas is arguably the most convenient place to get lunch or dinner, which is a little sad since it only has about a dozen or so restaurants including standard fast food chains. A few more options can be found in Centro (the town center), but nothing that looks especially quaint or inviting. I absolutely love Brazilian food, so this lack of choices was kind of a bummer.

I found myself eating fast food in the mall way more often than I would've liked.

Where I Stayed

The final issue I had was the area where I ended up staying. I chose an economical Airbnb in Marinas. If you look at a map of the neighborhood, you’ll see why I expected it to be nice and scenic. However, it turned out to be kind of a letdown.

Although my rental had a good-ish view from the front porch (shown above) because it was further up the hill, the main road had no views of the water because of a massive concrete wall that ran the length of the street. Add in the fact that the center of Angra was either an hour walk or a twenty minute bus ride away, and this area had little to offer visitors in terms of beaches, views, or convenience.

From my Airbnb rental to Shopping Piratas was about half an hour on foot or ten minutes by bus. Notice the huge concrete wall blocking views of the water from street level.

These are the main reasons I just didn’t love Angra dos Reis. However, the town has one area that you should still check out if you have a morning and afternoon to spare. Read the section below to learn more!

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The Walk From Centro to Praia Grande

The area known as Praia Grande (‘Big Beach’) is the one part of Angra that I actually enjoyed a lot. Not only is the beach itself nice and picturesque, but the walk along the waterfront from the center of town to Praia Grande is actually pretty beautiful.

If you decide to walk, it’ll be about an hour each way. After leaving town, you’ll first notice a large naval academy (Colégio Naval). The main building is pretty impressive, and you’ll also pass by what appears to be student housing.

The next area you’ll pass through is Bonfim. It’s is a pretty small beach, but the most interesting thing here is Igreja do Bonfim, a small church located on a tiny island just offshore. It looks like it’s even close enough to swim out to if you want.

Igreja do Bonfim, a church on a tiny island

Finally, you’ll reach Praia Grande. Aptly named, this wide, flat beach has a number of hostels with beachfront restaurants, so I decided to get lunch here: a delicious serving of steak strips and heart of palm with a caipirinha.

If you’re wondering why I recommend stopping at Praia Grande and going back after grabbing lunch there, it’s because the road stops offering nice waterfront views further west. I also lost cell service around Vila Velha, so I figured for safety reasons that it would be good to turn back at that point. A bus service actually runs from Centro to Vila Velha along the southern shore of the peninsula, but I’m not sure if one goes all the way around.

Day Trips to the Islands

As nice as Praia Grande was, the main reason people from Rio de Janeiro visit Angra dos Reis is to spend time on the islands nearby. Having done a day trip to Ilha Grande, by far the biggest and most famous one in the bay, as well as a boat tour on another day, I can say with certainty that you should absolutely visit at least one island if you decide to go to Angra.

A beach on the tiny Ilha de Cataguas, one of the most popular islands in the bay

I’ll be writing two separate blog posts in the next week or two: one about how to do a day trip to the town of Abraão on Ilha Grande, and another reviewing the boat tour I did. Click or tap the images below to read them [coming soon]!

How To Visit The Right Way

A successful visit to the area of Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande really comes down to where you stay. I figured that Angra would offer a wide variety of restaurants, shopping, and things to do; that turned out to be wrong.

I was also worried that if I stayed on Ilha Grande, I wouldn’t have reliable internet (which I need to work remotely). I can’t speak for other parts of the island, but the main town of Abraão seemed to have good cell service, and I imagine that accommodations there would have WiFi, but I can’t say for sure. Other more remote parts of the island such as the southern shore may not.

A beach on Ilha Grande

With that in mind, I highly recommend staying on Ilha Grande. Abraão had a large number of restaurants and bars, as well as souvenir shops and lodging options.

Abraão, Ilha Grande

If you’re set on staying in Angra dos Reis, at least be sure to stay downtown, where you’ll be a short distance from the docks and piers that will connect you to the other islands. There’s really no reason to stay anywhere else, especially in one of the neighborhoods further away like I did. Even for a great deal on housing, you’ll be far from food, panoramic views, and beaches.

This is probably the most negative blog post I’ve written to date (except perhaps the one about being mugged in the Dominican Republic). If you happen to be a resident of Angra dos Reis, I mean no offense or disrespect, but I just didn’t find the city to be extremely accommodating to visitors. I shared these feelings with some Brazilians I know, and they generally agreed with the sentiment.

Most tourists to this part of RJ will probably pass through Angra dos Reis, but I just don’t recommend spending more than a day or two there. There are so many more amazing things to see only a short boat ride away.

What do you think? Have you been to Angra dos Reis or Ilha Grande before? Did you feel the same way I did? Leave a comment and let me know! And if you’d like to learn more about this part of the state of Rio de Janeiro, don’t forget to read other related posts! Have a great day, guys!

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Check out this post to learn why I didn't love Angra dos Reis in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro and how you can make sure your trip to the town is better than mine was! #angradosreis #angra #angrarj #angradosreisrj #angradosreisriodejaneiro #ilhagrande #ilhagranderj #ilhagranderiodejaneiro #angradosreisilhagrande #ilhagrandeangradosreis #riodejaneiro #rj #estadodoriodejaneiro #riodejaneirostate #visitbrazil #braziltravel #travelbrazil #travelblog #travelblogger #caffeinatedexcursions Check out this post to learn why I didn't love Angra dos Reis in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro and how you can make sure your trip to the town is better than mine was! #angradosreis #angra #angrarj #angradosreisrj #angradosreisriodejaneiro #ilhagrande #ilhagranderj #ilhagranderiodejaneiro #angradosreisilhagrande #ilhagrandeangradosreis #riodejaneiro #rj #estadodoriodejaneiro #riodejaneirostate #visitbrazil #braziltravel #travelbrazil #travelblog #travelblogger #caffeinatedexcursions

This post was published on Sept 17, 2020

Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a coffee addict from Seattle, and my life revolves around traveling! Caffeinated Excursions is a record of my trips over the past seven years. Since I started blogging, I’ve lived in Mexico, Vietnam, Brazil, and the US. I just moved to Australia and plan to be here a full year. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Upcoming Trips

  1. Bangkok (Sept)
  2. Istanbul (Sept)

Support the Blog!

The post How NOT To Visit Angra dos Reis: I Did It All Wrong So You Don’t Have To appeared first on Caffeinated Excursions.

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