The most visited island on the São Paulo coast has a past out of a film and a present out of a postcard: Ilha Anchieta, opposite Ubatuba, was a prison until a historic uprising in 1952 — today it is a state park where the ruins live alongside beaches of transparent water and the best snorkeling in the region.
Getting there
Schooners and speedboats leave daily from Saco da Ribeira (a 20-40 minute crossing; trips of R$ 80-150 with stops for diving). The classic trips include free time on the island and snorkeling at spots such as the Ilha das Cabras on the way back. In high season, book the day before.
What to do on the island
- Prison ruins — walls taken over by the forest tell half a century of dark stories; the guided visit gives you the good kind of shivers.
- Praia do Presídio and Praia das Palmas — clear, calm water, ideal for a day on the island.
- Represa and Saco Grande trails — short walks in the forest with marmosets and tegu lizards crossing your path.
- Snorkeling — shoals of sergeant majors and salemas among the rocks off the beaches; take your own mask or hire one on the boat.
- Scuba diving — Ubatuba operators run try-dives and outings on the surrounding reefs.
Tips for the perfect day
The first schooner of the morning = a smoother sea and an empty island. Take a snack and water (facilities on the island are minimal), reef-safe sunscreen and cash for the optional guided tour of the ruins. A heavy swell cancels the crossings — have a mainland beach as plan B.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: easy — a seated crossing, gentle beaches and short optional trails. Children: a classic family program from ages 4-5 (life jacket for snorkeling!); the story of the prison fascinates the older ones. Older travelers and reduced mobility: very feasible — boarding with assistance at Saco da Ribeira, a pier on the island and a flat area between the ruins and the main beach; choose the larger schooners, which are more stable and have a toilet.