The Big Island, Ilha Grande

You don't need to be a language whizz to know that 'grande' means 'big' but somehow I didn't put two and two together, so as we approached the island I was a little shocked to see just how 'grande' it really was.

Nevertheless, the moment I felt the sand beneath my feet and glanced back out onto the wide open ocean, it hit me how much I've missed island life. What I'd missed even more, however, were the other girls who had left Paraty a day earlier than my mum and I in search of some cheaper accommodation. Though it had only been twenty-four hours, it was the longest I'd gone without seeing Hana in eight months, and Erica in four, and waking up without them felt outright odd.

After catching up with them over a caiprinhia, we ventured out to familiarise ourselves with our new surroundings. Despite its size, the majority of Ilha Grande has been taken over by a dense rainforest and so the island is inhabited by only a tiny population of people. Most live and work in the town of Abraao but there are lots of other nice areas if you're willing to explore.

We were indeed willing to explore and so boarded a schooner which took us around to the South side of the island. From there, we followed a short trail over the hill and through the trees to Lopes Mendes. It has been voted as one of the top ten beaches in Brazil but if I'm honest, I have no idea how they could possibly choose between them. From what we've seen, they all have pristine sand, bright blue waters and a gorgeous green backdrop of thriving forestry. With the surf as strong as it is at this time of year, we almost found ourselves sitting in the forestry as even at low tide, the water occasionally crept in close. It's little wonder that this beach has not a single bar or restaurant because if any had ever existed, they'd now be drifting out at sea.

On our second morning, I woke up not to the usual crashing of waves, but the sound of hammering rain instead. Though equally as relaxing it was a lot less convenient considering our plans for the day ahead. We'd hoped to take the three hour trek to Dois Reis but even in good conditions, it would have been tricky. Instead we took a shorter trail through the historic village to see the old aqueduct and the prison which was used as a quarantine area in the time of cholera. It was interesting and we didn't even get too wet with the rainforest canopy acting as a giant umbrella!

Luckily the weather had cleared up by the evening and so we enjoyed a lovely last supper along the beach, followed by a round of caiprihnias courtesy of Mumizzari. As always with these super strong cocktails, one glass was enough (or one sip for my mother) and we left feeling merry and ready for our next adventure.