From the pier at Cananéia, half an hour by boat is enough to change worlds: Ilha do Cardoso is a state park of 13,600 hectares — hillside Atlantic Forest tumbling onto deserted beaches, dunes, mangroves and seven caiçara communities that welcome visitors in the best tradition of community-based tourism. A UNESCO World Heritage site, wild by vocation.
How to visit
Accredited boats leave Cananéia (schooner or launch trips, R$ 60-150 depending on the route) for the visitor hubs — Marujá is the best-equipped base, with a visitor center, simple caiçara guesthouses, camping and fresh-fish restaurants. A day trip works well; staying the night is better still (the island without tourist boats, at dusk, is another thing entirely). There is a daily visitor cap at some points — on public holidays, secure the crossing early.
What to do
- Praia do Marujá — kilometers of wild shore with waves for every taste (the calm river corner, open sea for surfing).
- Guided trails — the Rio das Minas waterfalls and forest paths with howler monkeys, broad-snouted caimans and red-tailed parrots.
- Dunes and rocky shore — landscapes that switch between desert and stone within a few kilometers.
- Caiçara life — cataia (the “official drink” of the Lagamar), hand-made cassava flour, fishing stories and the rhythm that teaches you to slow down.
Tips
- Bring cash: there are no cash machines and no signal — and the fish at lunch deserves it.
- Sunscreen, repellent and a rain jacket: the island has microclimates.
- Zero waste — what comes in leaves with you.
- Allow slack for the boat back: the late-afternoon sea changes its mood.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: easy at Marujá (boat + beach); moderate on the forest and dune trails. Children: from ages 4-5 on a day trip (buoyancy aid on the boat, the river corner for swimming); trails from ages 7-8. Seniors and reduced mobility: landing is at a pier or on sand with help from the boatmen and Marujá is flat — feasible for slower walkers; long trails and dunes call for full mobility. The caiçara village welcomes you like few places do.