What's on in Ilha Grande, Brazil through the year

Peak crowds — Southern summer peak, Summer holidays in Brazil

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)), Summer storms and mud (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)), Southern summer peak (26 Dec – 28 Feb)

Peak crowds — Carnival, Southern summer peak

• Holiday

  Carnival

  13–18 FebCrowdedBook early

  Rio empties towards the Costa Verde and the island takes its share; the ferry queue at Conceicao de Jacarei is the bottleneck and rooms are sold months out at holiday rates. Source ↗

Still on: Sea warm enough to swim (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)), Summer storms and mud (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually)), Southern summer peak (26 Dec – 28 Feb)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Holiday

  Semana Santa long weekend

  3–5 AprEaster & Holy WeekCrowdedBook early

  Good Friday is a national holiday and the Easter weekend is one of the year's busiest for domestic travel: roads and bus stations jam, beach towns and country retreats fill with Brazilian families, and prices rise. Many shops close on Good Friday. Source ↗

Still on: Carnival (13–18 Feb), Sea warm enough to swim (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually)), Summer storms and mud (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Semana Santa long weekend

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Semana Santa long weekend (3–5 Apr), Sea warm enough to swim (1 Dec – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Clear water and empty trails

  1 May – 31 Aug · usuallyDry season

  The storms stop, the sea settles and underwater visibility is at its best of the year; the island is quiet enough that half the pousadas take the month off. Cool for swimming by August.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Clear water and empty trails (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Peak crowds — Festival de Musica e Ecologia, Festa de Santana

• Festival

  Festival de Musica e Ecologia

  3–5 JulMusic festivalCrowded

  A municipal arts and ecology festival running since the early 2000s, mixing concerts with environmental talks around Vila do Abraao over a long weekend in early July. Source ↗

• Festival

  Festa de Santana

  24–27 Jul · usuallyReligious feastCrowded

  Ilha Grande's patron-saint feast on Praia da Freguesia de Santana, unbroken since 1796: dawn bells and fireworks, a morning procession, a community lunch, and forro music into the afternoon. Source ↗

Still on: Clear water and empty trails (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Clear water and empty trails (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, Southern summer peak

• Season

  Sea warm enough to swim

  1 Dec – 30 Apr · usually

  The water on the Angra side is comfortable without a wetsuit from December to April, which is also when the visibility is worst after a storm. Late March is the sweet spot.

• Season

  Summer storms and mud

  1 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyMonsoonRiskClosures

  Afternoon storms come off the Serra do Mar most days, the forest trails turn to mud and the steep ones close after heavy rain. This coast has a history of landslides in the worst weeks.

• Season

  Southern summer peak

  26 Dec – 28 FebSchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  Between the new year and carnival the boats from Angra and Conceicao run full, Abraao's few hundred beds go early and the trail to Lopes Mendes is a procession. Nothing on the island is quick.