Cruising the Costa Verde
The coastline between Rio de Janeiro and Santos is known as The Costa Verde and no wonder. It is so green. Everywhere you look you see lush green vegetation and deep bluey green sea in so many shades, depths and textures.
Right at the heart of the Costa Verde is Ilha Grande and its surrounding waters of Baia de Ilha Grande. This is the cruising ground every one talks about. It’s the yachting hub of Brazil and surely a must see for visiting vessels.
This is the second part of the series 'What's it like sailing/cruising in Brazil.' The previous part Salvador to Angra is here
Baia de llha Grande
The bay is huge, roughly 60 miles long by 12 miles wide with a reported 365 anchorages. Some of those are way too small for us, tucked into nooks and crannies. Some are just not deep enough but that still gives us plenty of others to choose from. If the wind let you, you could go from bay with golden sandy beach to next bay with golden sandy beach for weeks.
Although there are plenty of floating bar/restaurants in all the bays. The challenge for liveaboards is finding places to stock up and do boat chores!
We arrived from Uruguay in June and last week we were able to renew our visas for another 90 days. The map below shows our route around the bay so far this year. We made a quick visit to Baia Sepetiba - right hand end of the bay. We wondered why so few yachts go so we took a little trip ourselves. Into the unknown
We were also lucky enough to spend 3 months here last year too. 2023 route below.
We still cannot get over how many trees in different shades of green there are, often with posh houses nestled between them.
Just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, with a year round temperate climate this part of Brazil is a great place to be, even in the middle of winter. Shorts and t shirt sailing weather, daytime temp approx 23°, very little rain. The Bay is so well protected there often isn't enough wind to sail, except for a few hours in the afternoon as the sea breeze builds.
Despite this, take care when choosing anchorages. If a cold front is due the wind can be twice what was forecast or more! (Links to weather sites in what we learnt)
A challenge sometimes is anchoring out of the swell. We regularly return to the same places, where we know it will be flat, as well as searching out new places.
Our favourites.
Our favourites provide us what we need. Different things on different days. They are a good mix of the following: Good all round shelter so you don’t always have to be on the move. Bolt holes for very strong winds. Places to relax in peace and solitude. Places to stock up. Places to go for a hike. Places with somewhere interesting to visit. Places functional for boat chores and places out of the swell!
Ilha da Cotia
We rate this as the best anchorage we have found so far. Huge picturesque bay with 5m pool. Great holding in sand. The land around it is relatively flat. I think you could sit out anything here. We certainly did. 30 knots, flat sea, anchor didn't budge. Not much to do on land, but just around the corner is the fabulous Saco de Mamangua, a steep narrow fjord, with lots to look at ashore. The hardy can take a hike to the top of Sugarloaf some 400m above the anchorage. If the weather takes a turn for the worse you can just nip back to anchor in Cotia. Generally flat calm and not much traffic so ideal for boat chores too.
Angra dos Reis
The big city and Port of Entry. Check in and check out here is quick and easy although very little English is spoken. There are shops, bars, restaurants, chandleries, diesel from floating barge and yacht clubs with mooring buoys. There is also a place close by where you can fill foreign gas bottles. Sandro Gas. A good place to stock up for a cruise around the bay or onward passage. If you need something fixed this is your best chance of finding someone. The harbour however gets busy with lots of wash, so we use a temporary anchorage near the main pier then move on.
Paraty
Paraty – pronounced Parachee by the locals and spelt Parati on the chart is described in the Lonely Planet as an enticing blend of colonial architecture and natural beauty. Without fail, every Brazilian sailor we’ve met (and even Uber drivers) have said – you have to go to Paraty.
This colourful old colonial town with buildings dating back to 17th century is indeed special and well worth a visit. Watch out for the streets flooding at high water springs.
There is good anchorage in the middle of the bay near the town, and many other anchorages slightly further away. There are marinas (quite shallow), boatyards with travel hoists, shops, restaurants, bars, chandlers etc. We even found a pharmacy to sell us prescription only drugs and top up our med kit. A good place to stock up, at the opposite end of the Bay to Angra. Well located for exploring further inland too.
Praia Dentista
This beautiful and popular white sandy beach lies at the south west corner of Gipoia island. It can get very busy, but at sunset the power boats go home leaving the yachts in peace and it is bliss. There's a hike over the hill to the small beach at Praia da Trilha on the other side and a nice floating bar for refreshments on your return.
Saco de Ceu
And just relax in Paradise! Beautiful anchorages (inner and outer) in spectacular surroundings. Lots of bar/restaurants ashore offering free buoys. Surrounded by hills so watch out in gusty weather, not a place to be if a cold front is due. No shops.
Monsuaba
Small town in Jacuacanga Bay. Good holding in muddy sand and a pier to land the dinghy. Our go to place at the east end of the bay when we want shopping. The pier is much easier than a beach landing. Only use pier HW +/- 3 otherwise it is very difficult to climb on and off. There is a good supermarket in the town for stocking up and plenty of opportunities for coastal walks. We took the bus from here to the shipyard at Marina Verolme and also to Angra. 6 Reais each, one way.. (£1)
Marina Porto Frade
Marina with chunky mooring buoys. We are 17m, 27 tons and 2.5m draft. We were happy here. For shallower boats there are stern to moorings and also a service pier. It's a well sheltered harbour, friendly people, 24 hr marineros and a shore shuttle service. In 2023 it was 300 Reais (approx £50) per day or ....935 Reais per month (approx £150 per month.) We paid for a month and used this as a base to both go sailing and do chores like servicing our anchor. Good supermarket and hardware shop in the town nearby. We also took Ubers from here into Angra. We returned in 2024, the price had gone up to £500 for the month but was still a bargain compared to prices for a marina berth. We stayed on the buoy for a month and got on with our boat prep chores for heading south.
Piraquara Dentro
This sheltered bay is just south of Frade. Peace and quiet. Perfect. Hide here from SW wind. Not far from the Nuclear Power station who do sometimes sound the siren for drills.
Sitio Forte/ Umbituba
There are two bays next to each other on north west coast of Ilha Grande. Despite the hills surrounding them causing gusts, the sea stays flat. Great holding in sand. A good place to be in southerly winds. We preferred the Umbituba side, beautiful beach but no facilities. It is not quite as busy as the Sitio Forte side. On then Sitio Forte side there are mooring buoys and some bar restaurants. To anchor clear of the moorings it is quite deep. Drinking water is available from a hose in Tapera Bay
Enseada de Arriro
North of Angra dos Reis at the extremity of the bay and hidden behind a maze of islands you find the beautiful and peaceful Enseada do Arriro. There are a few anchoring opportunities here including close to the mooring buoys at Iate Club Angra dos Reis. Peace and quiet here with not much passing traffic only boats returning home. We have anchored on the west side,just north of Ilha Comprida in 4m and near to the Iate Club in 4m. Good holding in both.
Vila do Abraão.
The place we haven't mentioned yet is Abraão, the largest village on Ilha Grande and reportedly a good place to get supplies as well as ferries. I admit, last year it was not one of my favourites. First impressions were made in horrible weather and we didn't go back.
We tried again this year, 2024, and were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was. Colourful, friendly, lots of bars, restaurants and tourist lodgings. 3 decent supermarkets make it a very worthwhile stop.
Mombaça Bay
This scenic peaceful bay opposite Monsuaba provides perfect shelter if the wind shifts suddenly from NE to SW when both Angra and Monsuaba become bumpy. The only disturbance comes from the helicopters for the rich and famous. To us, this will always be known as helicopter bay. It is only half a mile from the lovely day time stop at Ilha de Cataguás.
This really is just scratching the surface, but if you are short for time you will not be disappointed in any of these places.
What we Learnt
The people are friendly, the coastline is stunning and anchorages are safe and free.
We have left our dinghy on the beach or public pier many times and it was untouched.
Pay attention to the weather. Although it often seems benign, with a front approaching wind can be 3x what is forecast, accelerated by the hills. As well as Windy we use the Brazil Met Office. Links below
Synoptic charts, 24/48 hr forecasts, bad weather warnings and Metarea V high seas .
We also found this very handy weather app, pic below. It shows read outs of actual and historic wind as well as forecasts. http://Muitobonsventos.com.br
The bay is busy with shipping and buoyed shipping lanes. (IALA B) Keep a good look out and listen on VHF
A small amount of Portuguese goes a long way. If you are willing to try then locals are patient. They soon whip out their phones to use google translate.
Ubers are cheap and great for getting back from the supermarket with loads of groceries. We have been using the buses too. Cheap and easy.
Foreign credit cards are accepted everywhere even for small amounts.
If you need cash Bradesco bank machines take foreign cards.
The telephone system is complicated. Communication between locals is mainly by Whats App.
There is poor or non existent phone signal on most of the small islands. Abraão, Sitio Forte and mainland towns usually had 4G. Starlink worked everywhere.
Plan supply stops well. On the small islands there is limited availability of shops. There are plenty of floating bar restaurants in the bays. Many offer free mooring buoys if you eat there. Buoys usually only suitable up to 12 tons, so no good for us.
There is a good selection of shops in both Paraty and Angra. In Paraty we also found a pharmacy for prescription drugs.
There are chandleries but it is difficult to buy specific spare parts.
Ordering off the internet is complicated. You need a CPF (tax number) from the Receita Federal
Domestic cleaning and personal hygiene products are expensive, Stock up well.
Fruit, Vegetables and meat are plentiful and cheap.
Be careful buying butter. There are two types, extra or premium/top quality. We prefer extra. It has more fat and no additives are allowed. Premium/top quality has less fat and additives are allowed. I think you can taste the difference.
Be careful, many packaged food products have sugar in them. Even tinned tomatoes.
Brazilian wine is sweet. Imported wines are expensive. The local hooch cachaça is cheap. Homemade Caipirinhas are delicious
We found this guide in a chandlery in Paraty. It suggests you might be able to buy it from them online here or from Amazon. In Portuguese but very easy to follow.
We enjoyed sailing in Brazil so much in 2023 we came back in 2024
I write a regular blog which contains more details on our time here and the places mentioned . Below are the blogs of Baia Ilha Grande from both 2023 and 2024. Links in the carousel
Soon we will be heading South
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