Paraty (2) → Ilhabela

Paraty (2) → Ilhabela

Date: Sunday, February 14, 2027 · Distance: ~105 mi · Driving time: ~3h 30m (excluding stops) · Open in Google Maps

Road surfaces
Asphalt · 62 mi · 60%
Paved · 33 mi · 31%
Unknown · 4 mi · 4%
Hiking · 3 mi · 3%
Water · 2 mi · 1%

The day trades the calm of Paraty for the crossing that defines this stop: a ferry, a showcase beach for lunch, a short waterfall walk, and a sunset earned by waiting for it rather than rushing to it.

The Crossing

The day begins with an early departure from Paraty. The road heads south on the Rio-Santos highway — mostly a westward run along this stretch — one of the most scenic drives on the whole trip, running for long sections right along the edge of the Serra do Mar, with the forest coming down almost to the shoulder on one side and a string of small beaches on the other. Fuel is taken partway through, at a Shell station in Ubatuba, breaking up the drive before it continues through Caraguatatuba and on to São Sebastião, where the vehicle ferry to Ilhabela becomes the day's main uncertainty. The queue can be unpredictable, particularly on a high-season Sunday just after Carnaval, so it's worth booking Hora Marcada in advance to skip it. Once aboard, the crossing itself takes roughly twenty minutes.

Ilhabela is an archipelago in its own right — 82% protected as state park, with more waterfalls than any other municipality in Brazil (locals say there's one for every day of the year) and a reputation as the country's sailing capital, host to one of South America's biggest regattas each July. It's also known, less romantically, for its borrachudos — small biting flies that make repellent a standard part of any visit — a detail worth keeping in mind for the waterfall later in the day.

Praia do Curral

From the ferry landing, the road follows Ilhabela's built-up western shore through Perequê and the string of beach neighborhoods before reaching Praia do Curral. One of the island's busiest and best-known beaches, Curral has broad sand backed by restaurants and bars, with boats anchored offshore. It is the natural place to stop for lunch and enjoy the beach before continuing south.

Camp at Veloso

A few minutes farther south, Praia do Veloso is quieter and more shaded than Curral. Camp is set here in the early afternoon, leaving the rest of the day free to explore on foot rather than moving the TR4 again.

Cachoeira do Veloso

The Trilha do Veloso begins near the campground and enters the Mata Atlântica of Parque Estadual de Ilhabela. The full waterfall drops more than 30 metres — the tallest of any on this side of the island — but the plan is to hike only the first, easier section: about 35 minutes in, through forest thick enough to block most of the afternoon sun, to a natural pool roughly the size of a small room and just deep enough to swim in. The two higher falls above it involve a steeper, longer push and are left for another visit. This keeps the afternoon relaxed while still providing a real escape into the forest and a swim beneath the water, without committing several hours to the full trail.

Sunset at the Capela

Back at camp, there is time to clean up and rest before walking north toward Curral. The final climb is the stairs to the Capela de Santa Cruz, one of the island's best-known sunset viewpoints, with a west-facing view across the channel toward the mainland.