Why this stretch of coast
Everyone flies into Rio, does three days of caipirinhas and Cristo queues, and flies out again. The better move is to keep going southwest along the Costa Verde, the green wall of rainforest mountains that drops straight into the Atlantic between Rio and São Paulo. We gave it ten days and it was the best ten days of three months in Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro, 3-4 days
Base yourself in Botafogo or Santa Teresa rather than Copacabana — dorms run R$70-110 (about US$14-22) and you are closer to the stuff that actually stays with you: the Selarón steps early before the tour groups, the Sunday feira in Glória, sunset from Arpoador rock with half the city clapping when the sun hits the water. Do Pedra Bonita at sunrise instead of paying for Corcovado in cloud. Book the Cristo van online anyway (around R$100) for a clear morning.
Rio to Ilha Grande
From the Novo Rio bus station, Costa Verde buses run to Angra dos Reis roughly hourly, 2.5-3 hours, about R$75. Honestly, get off earlier at Conceição de Jacareí — the fast boats from there to Vila do Abraão take 20 minutes and cost around R$60, versus the slower, cheaper ferry from Angra. We stopped in Angra only long enough for a prato feito lunch by the port.
Ilha Grande, 3 days minimum
No cars, no banks that reliably work, one village of sandy lanes and boat captains touting tomorrow's trips. The classic is the two-and-a-half-hour jungle trail from Abraão over the ridge to Lopes Mendes, which really is one of the great beaches of the Atlantic — squeaky white sand, decent surf, almost no buildings. Take the boat back for R$30 if your legs are done. Dorms in Abraão are R$80-120; campsites with showers charge about R$50 a tent. Book ahead for any weekend, and avoid Carnaval unless you enjoy queuing for boats.
Ilha Grande to Paraty
Direct catamarans run Abraão to Paraty most mornings (about 2 hours, R$120-140) — worth every real, because you arrive by water with the colonial town and its mountains stacked up behind. The land alternative is boat back to the mainland plus the Colitur bus, which is cheaper but eats half a day.
Paraty, 2-3 days
Paraty's old town is all irregular whitewashed houses and stone streets that flood photogenically at spring high tide — flip-flops, not sneakers. Split your time between town and the beaches down the road: local buses run to Trindade (40 minutes, about R$6), where you can walk between four beaches and a natural swimming pool of turquoise water held in by boulders. Do one schooner day-trip around the bay (roughly R$100 with fruit thrown in) and one cachaça distillery tour — Paraty was Brazil's cachaça capital before it was anyone's Instagram backdrop.
Onward to São Paulo
Reunidas Paulista runs direct buses Paraty to São Paulo's Tietê terminal, about 6 hours along a spectacular coast-then-climb highway, R$120-150. Give São Paulo at least a night — the food alone (mortadella sandwiches at the Mercadão, late-night pastel and garapa) justifies it before you fly out.
When to go and what it costs
April to June and August to October are the sweet spots: warm sea, fewer storms, low-season prices. December to March is hotter, wetter and busier. Budget R$220-280 a day (US$45-55) covering dorms, buses, boats and plenty of açaí, less if you camp on Ilha Grande. Bring cash for the island — cards fail exactly when you need them.
