Ilha Grande: Blue Lagoon Motorboat & Snorkeling Day Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration5h

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesPT

Mobile ticketAccepted

Four island stops, one boat, lunch served on the beach

You board a shared motorboat with a small group and visit four stops: snorkel at Blue Lagoon with starfish and reef fish, explore the 18th-century church at Parish of Santana, swim at Cataguases Island's calm waters, and have lunch served beachside at Araçá. The boat handles all the logistics and timing, so you just show up at the dock with your gear.

Step-by-step itinerary

Shared motorboat tour around Ilha Grande

Stop at Cataguases Island beach
Snorkel at Blue Lagoon natural aquarium
Visit Parish of Santana and church
Lunch at Beach of the Arrows restaurant
Relax at Araçá Beach

The Experience

So you're standing at the dock in Angra dos Reis and the boat's already loaded — coolers, snorkel gear, maybe fifteen other people max — and you realize you don't have to drive yourself around Ilha Grande or figure out which beach is actually worth the trip. The motorboat leaves and within minutes you're at Cataguases Island, which people call the Brazilian Caribbean, and yeah, the water is that clear. White sand, no waves, and you can already see why this place gets the attention it does. The boat crew knows the rhythm — they're not rushing you, but they're not dawdling either.

The snorkeling stop at Blue Lagoon is where the day shifts. You're in what feels like a natural aquarium, starfish on the bottom, fish moving through in actual schools, and the water temperature is warm enough that you forget you're wearing a wetsuit. Some people stay in for twenty minutes, some for an hour. Nobody's watching the clock. After that comes Parish of Santana, the third stop, where the 18th-century Church of Santana sits quiet on the island — it's the oldest settlement on Ilha Grande and the kind of place that makes you understand why people moved here in the first place. The tranquility isn't an accident.

Lunch happens at Araçá Beach on Gipoia Island, and here's the thing nobody expects: the restaurant staff brings the menu to you on the boat so you order before you land. By the time you're on the sand with a cold drink, your food is already being prepared. Araçá itself is 400 meters of fine sand backed by dense vegetation, green water, the kind of beach that fills up in high season but still feels like you found it yourself. The name comes from a vulture species — Tom Jobim even wrote about it — and standing there you get why a poet would care about a place like this.

The whole loop takes the day, and you're back before evening. Parking for your car is included, so you're not paying extra to leave it at the dock. Just show up with your documents — the municipality charges a sustainable tourism tax when you enter Angra dos Reis, which goes toward keeping the island intact, and that's handled separately, but it's not a surprise if you know to ask about it.

What’s included

Shared motorboat transportation to all four stops, snorkel gear, entry to Blue Lagoon for snorkeling, lunch at a regional restaurant on Araçá Beach, parking for private vehicles at the dock, and stops at Cataguases Island, Parish of Santana, and Araçá Beach.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Angra dos Reis Turismo

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see multiple sides of Ilha Grande — snorkeling, history, and beach time — without renting a boat or driving between islands yourself; the fixed stops and small group size mean you're moving at a pace that lets you actually enjoy each place instead of rushing through a checklist.