Brazil Costa Verde — Rio, Ilha Grande & Paraty

Eight days on the Costa Verde in a rental car, right after Carnival in Rio: We took a speedboat (half an hour) from Angra dos Reis to Ilha Grande, then continued by rental car to Paraty. Here you'll find out what our snorkeling tour (€20 per person), dinner (€20–30 per plate), and fuel (approximately €1.20 per liter) cost, where we stayed, and which route is recommended from Rio.

Costa Verde trip: route from Rio de Janeiro

The Costa Verde stretches along a 600-kilometer coastal road between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Within a small area, it connects tropical rainforest, colonial towns, and Ilha Grande. For a road trip, a good route from Rio is via Angra dos Reis and Paraty towards Trindade and Ubatuba. This route covers 350 kilometers; with stops along the way, allow three to five days.

From Rio via Angra dos Reis to Paraty

For a more extensive trip, the journey can be spread over eight days. On the first day, the drive from Rio to Angra dos Reis takes about three hours. There, you leave your car in the parking garage while you take a boat to Ilha Grande. Days two through four are dedicated to the island's beaches, hiking trails, and boat tours. On the fifth day, you return to Angra dos Reis and continue for another hour and a half to Paraty. Days six and seven are reserved for exploring the old town, taking a schooner tour, visiting the waterfalls, and perhaps taking a trip to Trindade. Day eight takes you back to Rio or onward to Ubatuba and São Paulo.

The BR-101 is well-developed and signposted. It's considered safe to drive on during the day. Avoid driving on this route at night. Start with a full tank and make longer fuel stops in Angra dos Reis or Paraty. Police checks are frequent and usually conducted in a friendly and routine manner. An international driving permit is officially required.

Ilha Grande: Arrival, ferry and accommodation

You can find all the details about the island in my guide. Ilha Grande: Beaches, hikes & tips for the dream island.

Ilha Grande is the largest island in the Bay of Angra dos Reis and belongs to the state of Rio de Janeiro. Around 80 percent of the island is a protected nature reserve. It is car-free, with the exception of police and emergency vehicles. With its tranquility, nature, and beaches, it thus forms a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Rio.

By boat or ferry to Vila do Abraão

The usual route from Rio to Angra dos Reis is by rental car or bus. The 170-kilometer journey takes about three hours. From Angra dos Reis, you take a boat to the main pier, Vila do Abraão. The public ferry runs only once a day (at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, and at 1:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays), takes up to 110 minutes, and costs R$ 20.50, or about €3.50. Speedboats and flexboats run several times a day, take 20 to 40 minutes, and usually cost R$ 70 to 120 each way, or about €12 to €21. If you're traveling early, it's best to take a speedboat: in the late afternoon, the boats are full of day-trippers. Since June 2026, a tourist tax of R$ 50 (valid for 30 days) has also been in effect in Angra dos Reis; timetables and prices are subject to change, so please check them before traveling.

Overnight stay in the island center

Vila do Abraão is the main village and the only place on Ilha Grande with any significant infrastructure. It has restaurants, pousadas (guesthouses), a small market, a bank branch, and most of the accommodations. A bed in a dormitory of a basic hostel starts at €10; boutique pousadas cost more than €100 per night. Pousadas on the upper hillside are about 200 meters from the main beach. There, it's quieter and cooler, and you also get a view across the bay at sunrise.

Some smaller establishments on Ilha Grande only accept cash. ATMs are scarce on the island. Therefore, you should budget approximately 100 to 150 euros in Brazilian reais for boat tickets, day trips, and small expenses over several days. Cashless payment is possible in tourist hotels and restaurants; ATMs are more reliable in Paraty.

What's worth seeing on Ilha Grande

Lopes Mendes and Lagoa Azul

Lopes Mendes is the island's most famous beach. It boasts three kilometers of white sand, turquoise water, and no development whatsoever. It can be reached either via a three-hour hike through the Atlantic Rainforest or by boat taxi for about 25 euros round trip. A possible combination is to take the boat there and hike back. For the hike, be sure to pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and sturdy shoes.

Lagoa Azul is also only accessible by water. The shallow lagoon offers opportunities for snorkeling. Many pousadas arrange six-hour boat trips starting at around €35, including lunch. Other activities include snorkeling and diving in the clear bays, hiking, and kayak rentals for exploring the mangroves on the south side of the island.

Hiking and other activities

The hike to Pico do Papagaio takes four to six hours round trip and offers panoramic views of the entire bay. The Lazareto, a former quarantine station and later prison, can be visited on foot or by bicycle. For photography enthusiasts, sunset boats depart daily at 4:30 pm; the price is approximately €15 per person. Combining the various activities allows you to experience the beaches, rainforest, and bays from multiple perspectives.

Discover Paraty on the Costa Verde

Paraty lies approximately 100 kilometers west of Angra dos Reis. Its historic old town is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in Latin America. Whitewashed houses, blue and yellow door and window frames, cobblestone streets, and Portuguese architecture characterize the center. The old town has been a protected historical site since the 1950s; in 2019, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Old town, harbor and bays of Paraty

The old town itself is car-free. At high tide, parts of the streets are submerged by the bay; this system was designed to clean the streets. Key landmarks include the Igreja Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, built in 1646, the Igreja de Santa Rita, and the historic harbor. From there, schooner tours depart daily into the bay. A day trip to three bays and islands costs approximately 25 to 35 euros per person, including lunch.

Inland lie the Cachoeiras, including the Tobogã water slide and the Pedra Branca waterfalls. Both are among the most popular waterfalls in the area and can be reached by rental car or on an organized tour starting from €25. For a longer stay, a hike in the Serra da Bocaina National Park with its Atlantic Rainforest is also recommended.

Accommodation and travel time in Paraty

Pousadas in the historic old town start at €50 per night. The Bairro Histórico and the adjacent Caborê are just a five-minute walk from the old town; Caborê is the more affordable option. Hostels outside the center cost approximately €15 to €25 for a bed in a dormitory. During the peak season from December to February and in July, accommodations should be booked four to six weeks in advance, as Paraty is also a popular weekend getaway for visitors from Rio and São Paulo.

Best time and planning for a Costa Verde trip

From May to September, it is generally drier. With temperatures around 18 to 26 degrees Celsius, a lower probability of rain, and fewer tourists, this period is particularly suitable for hiking and boat trips. From October to April is the rainy season: short, intense tropical downpours, temperatures between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius, and higher humidity characterize these months. The Christmas and New Year period, as well as Carnival in February or March, are peak season, so booking early is essential.

Seven days is considered the minimum for Ilha Grande and Paraty combined. Ten to fourteen days allow additional time for Trindade and the Cachoeiras. For a shorter trip, it's recommended to focus on Ilha Grande with four to five days or on Paraty with three to four days. An extra rainy day as a buffer is helpful in case tropical showers prevent a beach day.

Trindade as a complement to Paraty

Trindade is located about a 25-minute drive south of Paraty. This small fishing village offers a tranquil alternative to the more touristy Paraty and boasts the beaches of Cachadaço and Praia Brava, as well as a manageable number of pousadas (guesthouses). The Piscinas Naturais are saltwater pools separated from the open sea by rocks, perfect for snorkeling. They can be reached from the village center in about 30 minutes on foot or by boat.

For tourism boards and hotel chains, the Costa Verde offers motifs of colonial architecture, tropical beaches, and Atlantic rainforest. Information on professional content and visual storytelling for the region is available on the page for collaboration.

Read more

• Carnival in Rio de Janeiro: Samba, Sambódromo and tips
• São Paulo: Travelogue and tips
• Max about Costa Verde, Ilha Grande and Paraty (on max-haase.com)
• Brazil Costs: What does backpacking cost per day and month? (on max-haase.com)
• Rio de Janeiro: Copacabana, Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer statue
• All South America travel reports