Located on the rich green coast north of São Paulo, the steep-sided island of Ilhabela had its closest brush with civilization in the 19th century, when coffee barons chopped plantations out of the island's western slopes. When coffee production declined, the island was largely abandoned, its cover of Atlantic rainforest intact save for a network of rough mountain trails. By the 1960s, when Paulistas started eyeing Ilhabela as a possible vacation destination, the forest had already overrun most of the old farms. In the early '80s some far-sighted planners protected 85% of the island as state park. Ilhabela's forest and the gorgeous beaches that form its Atlantic shore are now permanently protected.
Some sort of island mystique continues to keep the modern world at bay. On hot summer weekends and holidays when Paulistas pack the beaches of Santos, Guarujá, and Ubatuba, a short ferry ride away Brazil's largest maritime island remains a tropical island oasis. Ilhabela's 18,000 permanent residents live almost exclusively along the island's west side looking back towards the mainland. The hilly interior and east coast remain virtually unpopulated.
The park, the beaches, and the short steep mountain range form the heart of Ilhabela's 21st-century tourism economy. In many ways the island offers a perfect mix. The "civilized" side of the island offers great dining, some fun nightlife, and excellent upscale accommodations. In the middle there's a rocky mountain spine, covered with virgin rainforest and cut through with small rivers and waterfalls. On the far side you'll find wild and empty beaches.
