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 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.
Deleting this waypoint is permanent and cannot be undone.