Ilhabela → Praia Grande

Ilhabela → Praia Grande

Date: Monday, February 15, 2027 · Distance: ~104 mi · Driving time: ~3h 45m (excluding stops) · Open in Google Maps

Road surfaces
Asphalt · 85 mi · 83%
Paved · 12 mi · 12%
Unknown · 3 mi · 3%
Water · 2 mi · 2%

The day begins with one last look at Ilhabela before leaving the island behind. From the quiet southern beaches, the road heads north to the Vila, the historic heart of the island, then continues to the ferry back to São Sebastião. From there, the route turns south along the coast through Bertioga and the increasingly urban landscape of the Baixada Santista, before crossing to Santos for lunch and finishing in Praia Grande.

The Vila

Before leaving the island, this is the chance to see the Vila, Ilhabela's historic center. The compact waterfront district is a very different side of the island from the beaches and forest: colonial buildings, the old Igreja Nossa Senhora D'Ajuda, the pedestrian Rua do Meio, small shops and cafés, and the waterfront looking across the channel.

The Vila is where Ilhabela's history is most visible. The town grew around this small center, and its streets still carry that original character. A short walk is enough to take it in before continuing toward the ferry.

Back to the Mainland

From the Vila, the road continues north to the ferry at São Sebastião. Once back on the mainland, the route turns south, following the coast through Bertioga — fuel taken along the way at Boracéia — before continuing toward Guarujá.

The landscape gradually changes along the way. The forested mountains and small coastal communities of the earlier days give way to the much denser development of the Baixada Santista, the metropolitan coastal region centered on Santos. This is where the quiet resort towns of the Costa Verde begin to merge into the continuous urban coastline of São Paulo.

Across to Santos

At Guarujá, the route takes the ferry across the narrow channel to Santos. The crossing takes only a few minutes, but the ferry exists because the channel belongs to the enormous Port of Santos — there's no ordinary road bridge, since a fixed span would block the shipping channels large vessels still need open.

It's one of those very Brazilian transitions where a short stretch of water still requires a boat.

Santos

Santos is more than a beach city. It grew into one of Brazil's most important commercial centers through its port and the coffee trade, and its historic center still reflects that history in its old streets, commercial buildings, and former coffee exchange. Along the waterfront, though, the city takes on a different character: a long urban beach, broad gardens, promenades, and the Atlantic stretching beyond it.

Today, there is no need to try to see all of Santos. Lunch is the reason to stop. A meal near the waterfront followed by a walk along the beach gives us a taste of the city without turning the afternoon into a sightseeing mission.

Praia Grande

From Santos, the final drive to Praia Grande is short. By now the character of the coast has changed completely: what began with Ilhabela's forested mountains and historic Vila has become the dense, continuous beach cities of the Baixada Santista.