The most beautiful Island we have ever seen, Ilha Grande, is just off the coast of Brazil. If any of you get the chance it´s one to visit (thank you for the recommendation Tom and Marie!). In it´s past the island was the site of a hospital, looking after immigrants and the leprous, and then the hospital was transformed into a prison. The shady past lead to very little construction on the Island and now only 3 small settlements are present and there are strict regulations on development.
The main town has just a few dirt tracks and there are no vehicles, except of a small golf buggy that seems to be owned by the one official person on the Island; not sure if he´s police or not but he turns up at disputes in the street and occasionally scooches around on his buggy looking important!
During our few days we walked some of the trails through the rain forest, leading to the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen. The trails were really muddy and keeping your footing in flip flops down hill on clay like mud is really hard!! A few sore bottoms later..........
One of the beaches called ´Lopes Mendes´ is said to the most beautiful beach in Brazil and it was stunning. A wide beach with the finest sand that crunched under your feet. The beach stretches as far as you can see and has no development around it. We chickened out on walking there (3 hours in the mud) and took a boat most of the way but still have a 30min trail to get there. The sea had some brilliant waves which I tolerated and Nigel loved!! Slightly reminiscent of a time when we were pelted by waves in Antigua!!!
Lots of delicious fish and masses of Acai (a dark purple berry that you eat pureed and is very good for you!!) with banana, grenola and honey (Mmmmmmmmmmm) later and we left for Sao Paulo to pick up a bus to the Iguazu Fall on the border with Argentina.
