island Ilha Bela, state Sao Paulo

Илья Бела, штат Сан Пауло См. Фото-галерею

It and the other islands; (Búzios and Vitoria) and the islets (Cabras, Castelhanos, Enchovas, Figueira, Lagoa and Serraria) make up the municipality of Ilha Bela. The islands in total cover 352 km² . The population of Ilha Bela in 2006 was 25 000, but during the holiday months, up to one hundred thousand people may be on the island. To access the city on the island, one must take a boat or ferry in São Sebastião, as there are no roads which reach it. During the summer, one may wait more than an hour to take the ferry boat. The ferry takes 15 minutes to cross the channel between the two cities.

Before Portugal colonized Brazil in 1500, the Tupinambas Indians inhabited the island. They called it Ciribai, which means tranquil place. The island was named São Sebastião Island by Americo Vespuccio, on January 20th, 1502. During the 16th ceuntury, the Portuguese set up military points on the shore of São Sebastião Island. On September 3rd, 1805, the Governor of the Province of São Paulo, Antônio José da França e Horta, decreted the political-administrative independence of the county. The Island had already 3.000 inhabitants at that time. The new county was named Villa Bella da Princeza, paying homage to the princess of Beira. On November 30th, 1938, during the Getúlio Vargas' Estado Novo, an act altered the name of the county to Formosa. Six years later, on November 30th, 1944, another act ultimately changed the name to Ilhabela.

There are many hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty and many waterfalls in the typical atlantic jungle.