Ilha Grande seen by Jean-Paul Delfino
Abraao, Ilha dos Macacos, Ilha do Meio, Ilha Pau-a-Pino, Ilha das Palmas, Ilha Jorge Grego, Ilha dos Meros, Ilhas Botinas : Ilha Grande, surounded by a series of islets deposited on the indigo surface of the Atlantic ocean, is by far the largest island of the Rio de Janeiro State. With its two peaks towering above, the Pedra d’Agua ( 3382 ft) and the Pico do Papagaio (3230 ft), Ilha Grande remains one of the last sanctuaries keeping the Brazilian continental nature in its original state. Amongst waterfalls and lagoons set like precious stones in the jungle, the famous Mata Atlantica, a land kept with a watchful eye, offers beaches as far as the eye can reach, protected from human activities and bearing names that sound as though they were inviting one for a journey abroad: Lopes Mendes, Aventureiro, Santo Antonio, Dois Rios, Parnaioca, Preta, Vermelha, etc.
The lucky ones who will set foot on Ilha Grande will neither look for international hotels, nor for old stones loaded with history. On the contrary, they will flee from mass tourism, since that site is not meant for the common herd. One has to deserve it, to live an everyday life there, following the immutable rhythm of elapsing time. It can be enjoyed while swimming or strolling around, it can be apreciated during walks owing to more than one hundred and fifty kilometres of signposted footpaths connecting villages and fishermen’s hamlets, in the middle of a landscape that makes one get a clearer insight into a Cariocan joke: To make it short, they say in Rio de Janeiro that it took God six days to create the world and all its marvels. When He finished his job, before taking a well-deserved day’s rest, He rubbed His hands. And from them fell all the remaining marvels. That is how Brazil was created…
Written by : © Jean-Paul Delfino (This text is subject to copyrights protection in accordance with existing laws)
Our description of Ilha Grande is on this web page : https://terra-nordeste.com/en/destination/ilha-grande-en/
Other texts by Jean-Paul Delfino are available here: Travel Diaries - Jean-Paul Delfino
Jean-Paul Delfino is a French writer and screenwriter so passionate about Brazil that he has taken on the writing of a major novel fresco entitled "Suite brésilienne" which covers three centuries of great Brazilian history.
Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Delfino