Ilha Grande

Last week, Fred andI spent a few days in Ilha Grande, which is portuguese for "big island."  After hopping on a 2 hour bus ride (at 5 am), the very cranky and tired couple boarded the ferry for the 90 minute ride from Mangaratiba to Ilha Grande.  The ferry dropped us off  on the beach of Abrao, which is the mainland of Ilha Grande.  We began our journey by hiking for about an hour to Praia Palmas, where we found a charming campsite and set up our tent.  Then, it was off to hike and explore other beaches!

Ilha Grande is famous for it's incredible beaches, and each one is aesthetically unique.  You can hike all around 

the island, and each trek opens up onto pure paradise.  Praia Maria Lopez Mendes  frequently makes the magazine lists of The World's Most Beautiful Beaches due to its turquoise water, white sand, and 

lucious green backdrop.  Praia Palmas is 

surrounded 

by jagged rocks, stray dogs,  and pebbly sand, and San Antonio...well, get there early on a Monday morning and you just may have a private beach all to yourself (which we DID!)

We spent the first day hiking and exploring Palmas and Maria Lopez beaches.  Fred found some rocks to climb, and I consequently found some nice back muscles to take pictures of :)  (see for yourself)!  We hung out on the rocks, played in the sand, and decided to head back to our tent around 5 for an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT EVENT:  The Flamengo futeb

ol game.  Somehow, on this tiny beach waaaay in the middle of BFE, Fred found a guy with a TV who was happy to bring it to the little cabana bar and broadcast the soccer match.   Sadly, Flamengo lost the game, but it was loads of fun to watch drunk-ass beach bums slur cheers for the team!  

Night 1 brought tons of rain, but Day 2 started with a beautiful sunrise!  We awoke and decided to hike to San Antonio beach, where for the 4 hours we spent there, we were the only people

 But alas, where there was a lack of humans there was an abundance of another type of creature...THE SIRI CRAB.