The Costa Verde – My Highlight of Brazil 🇧🇷
From carnival bustle to paradise 🏝
After the carnival in Rio was an incredible experience for us, we had another exciting week ahead: we embarked on a rental car tour along the beautiful Costa Verde (from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo), organized by Gateway Brazil. Before we set off with our own rental car, however, our tour started a little more relaxed for the first few days - we were driven! Our driver picked us up at our hotel in the morning and drove us to Angra dos Reis, about 3 hours away from Rio. From there, we took a small boat to Ilha Grande - a dreamlike island with crystal-clear water and Caribbean-looking beaches. The Ilha Grande had already been on our minds before our trip to Brazil, as we had been recommended this island by many people - and it quickly became clear why. Here you find this very special "island vibe", great people, and an incredibly beautiful nature! 😍🍀
When we arrived on the first day, we walked 5 minutes along the beach to our hotel and were initially thrilled with the view from our balcony - we could look directly into the beautiful bay of Abraão from our room. Then we explored the town, which is the largest on Ilha Grande, on foot because there are no cars on Ilha Grande! We ended the evening in one of the many small restaurants. 😊
The Lopez Mendez Beach - one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! 🏝
The next day, we had a hike planned - we wanted to see the Lopez Mendez Beach, which is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil and even the world! But first, we walked for nearly 3 hours through the rich jungle and saw many different animals, including giant worms (easily 30 cm long!), lemurs, large iguanas... We also passed by other beautiful beaches, all of which reminded us of the Caribbean. 🌴🥥
Finally, we reached Lopez Mendez Beach and it earned its title - the beach is infinitely long and the yellow sandy beach forms an incredible contrast to the turquoise blue water. Another bay away is another beach: Santo Antonio Beach, which is also beautiful and especially deserted! We took the taxi boat back, which takes you home in just 15 minutes. We also had a fantastic sunset! 🚤🌅
Swimming with giant fish and turtles 🐠🐢
Our last day on Ilha Grande was coming up and we had something special planned - we took the "Meia Volta" snorkeling tour with stops at a total of 5 different beaches and bays. We set off with the speedboat and at each of the beaches, we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world with the snorkel set, which I did at every single beach! 😂
I just love snorkeling and diving because there is nothing more calming for me than watching the underwater creatures in their activities and "drifting" among them. But we didn't just see many colorful fish, we also saw two turtles. With one, I was able to glide side by side through the water for several minutes, which was an incredibly beautiful feeling! I also saw two giant fish, about a meter long, but unfortunately, I still don't know what kind of fish they were. 🙈
Off to Paraty - a city entirely in colonial style! 🏠
Unfortunately, we had to leave Ilha Grande the next day - it was an incredibly beautiful few days, and it won't be the last time we're here! We also had a very nice hotel, right by the beach, with a delicious breakfast. On this tour, Gateway Brazil provided all the organization, including rental cars, hotels, schedules... so we didn't have to worry about anything and could finally concentrate exclusively on our trip and experiences. Back in Angra dos Reis, we got our rental car - a brand new Chevrolet sedan with automatic transmission. With this, we drove a relaxed two hours to Paraty - our stop for the next two days.
Paraty has a unique touch, as the entire old town is in a colonial style, which is especially colorful! Our beautiful hotel was also in this style and in the best location. We had a very nice suite and were even greeted with a handwritten, GERMAN card, including handmade chocolates from Paraty. However, a special highlight for us was breakfast at the hotel, as we could choose from a large selection of dishes the night before, and breakfast was super delicious. During our time here, we extensively explored the old town, which not only has beautiful houses but also many small boutiques, cute cafes, and really great bars and restaurants. 😊
Exploring the Atlantic rainforest 🎋
On the way to our next hotel (near São Sebastião), we visited several waterfalls and saw the old town of São Sebastião, which, like Paraty, was built in a colonial style and also offers many colorful colors. Our next hotel was in a fantastic location right on the beautiful beach of Maresias and offered not only the beautiful location but also a very nice pool and delicious cocktails. In addition, we had another wonderful breakfast the next morning with a large selection, such as a sandwich with smoked salmon and avocado or freshly baked tarts. 😍🥞 In general, the entire tour with Gateway Brazil offered beautiful hotels in perfect locations.
Ending the tour luxuriously 💎
The next day, we continued. However, we didn't have to drive many kilometers as our next stop was only about half an hour away. On the way, we took another little detour into the rainforest and hiked to the waterfalls Cachoeira Pedra Lisa & Cachoeira Samambaiacu, which are also very popular with locals. We quickly understood why because the waterfalls were not only very beautiful to look at, but you could also refresh yourself in the many different pools - with the high humidity and difficult ascent, that was urgently needed! 💦
After the short refreshment, we continued to the next accommodation, which really impressed us! 😍 Not only did we have a very nice room with a large bathtub and two bathrooms, but the hotel was also right on a beautiful beach again, with a pool, whirlpool, and its own spa area. Again, we were provided with a magnificent breakfast the next day - and directly on the beach, with a view of the surfers who tried their luck at the beach's high waves. What more could you want? 🤷🏼♂️
The final stretch to São Paulo 🚙
On our last day, we drove the car all the way to São Paulo, where we easily returned it. By the way, this can be done at any of the countless drop-off stations in São Paulo, including at the airport. The last week went by incredibly fast and we would have loved to extend the trip, as the Costa Verde truly has an incredible number of beautiful places to offer and there are enough attractions to easily fill three weeks. However, our one-week tour included the best highlights of the coast between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo and impressed us mainly due to one thing: variety! From the hustle and bustle of Rio to the idyllic tranquility of Ilha Grande, to the Atlantic Rainforest with its countless waterfalls - in one week, you can experience exactly what makes Brazil so special! 👌
Be sure to check out our partner Gateway Brazil , who put together this wonderful tour for us. At Gateway Lateinamerika Be sure to check out our partner Gateway Brazil, who put together this wonderful tour for us. On Gateway Latin America, you can also find tours in other beautiful countries in South and Central America. It's worth it! 😊
Below, I'll show you my personal highlights of this tour so you can get an idea of what the Costa Verde has to offer. Here you can directly see the tour we took:
EN 
DE