DSC05951
photo by Fred Schinke

Angra dos Reis is in Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil. A beautiful mirage of 365 islands, Angra dos Reis is a popular getaway for Rio residents, since there are plenty of nice beaches around. If you end up in the town of Angra dos Reis itself, it is quite likely that you are on your way to the popular island Ilha Grande, since Angra is the main port to the island.

Getting there

Apart from the town, Angra dos Reis is comprised of 365 islands and two thousand beaches filled with natural beauty, legends and social events. It is located in the Fluminense Green Coast, between the States of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, on the margins of the Rio-Santos Highway (BR-101). To know well this part of the Fluminense Green Coast, one must travel by boat, being able to see the crystalline waters, and the mansions of the rich and famous, erected on private islands.

Among all of its islands, Ilha Grande stands out. Considered the paradise of adventurers, with its trails, waterfalls and deserted beaches, it played an important role in Brazil’s historical-cultural scenario for having housed a prison for almost 60 years.

In the past, Angra dos Reis was one of the most important ports of the Fluminense coast. Ships loaded with goods docked there from the other side of the world. Slave ships also arrived there with hundreds of slaves to supply forced labor in the coffee plantations of the region.

Things to do

  • Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to luxury yacht in Brasil. Operating from different offices worldwide (UK, USA, Honk Kong, Dubai, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland).

Eat

There are excellent restaurants that serve from fish and seafood, to international dishes.

Sleep

Looking for accommodation online in Angra can be confusing, since the beach resorts and the downtown hotels can be hard to tell apart. If you just need somewhere to sleep before going to Ilha Grande the next day, don't book an expensive resort far from the port.

The majority of accommodation options are on the Contorno road north of town. They range from luxurious hotels to small cozy inns, and attractive prices. The cheapest options are in the center.

Budget

  • Hotel Kuxixo, +55 24 3365 0346, Rua Prefeito Joao Galindo 142, Centro, In the center of town. Also used by lonely lovers. No breakfast.

  • Hotel Colonial, +55 24 3365 0226, Rua da Conceição, 231, Centro, a stone's throw from the pier, Naked light bulb-type of place with no points for charm, but if you're going to Ilha Grande the location is great. Breakfast included.

  • Hotel Caribe , +55 24 3365 0033, +55 24 3365 0033, Rua da Conceição, 255, Centro, a few meters from Hotel Colonial, Another option if you want to sleep close to the pier, more upscale than Hotel Colonial.

Splurge

  • Pestana Angra Hotel , , Estrada Vereador Benedito Adelino, 3700 - Retiro 23930-050 Angra dos Reis (RJ), Five-star luxury resort.

Get out

The cheapest way to get to Ilha Grande is the ferries operated by . They take 90 minutes and normally depart twice a day. Note that the schedule is changed frequently. Prices are significantly lower on Monday through Thursday than on Fridays, weekends and holidays.

There are also several private boats from Angra dos Reis port to Vila do Abraão on Ilha Grande, leaving almost every hour (depeding on the demand). Prices may vary from R$ 15,00 do R$ 25,00. If you walk near the pier and look like a tourist you will be approached by these boat operators. Note that they may not be entirely truthful about how soon their boat will depart - if you are told to wait on a pier and see no boat nearby, find another operator.

Daily buses operated by Costa Verde leave from Rio de Janeiro to Angra dos Reis. Daily buses from São Paulo to Angra dos Reis are operated by Reunidas.

Contact & location

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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:

Fred Schinke, Ana Paula Hirama

Some photos courtesy of: . The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.

This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at WikitravelView full credits

Texugo, Marius Mollersen, Colin Jensen, Karioca007 and Tom Holland, Morph, Jake73 and Episteme

This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at WikipediaView full credits

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