Ilha Grande's most famous beach and #5 most beautiful in all of Brazil: Lopes Mendes. It's the perfect way to spend a day on Ilha Grande. Sure you could take the boat but you didn't come all the way to Brazil to not explore a little. We likely were ill prepared on our first attempt to make the 3 hour hike but learn from our mistakes and read on for the complete guide to hiking to Lopes Mendes.
Some background first. Lopes Mendes is a 3km stretch of beach located on Ilha Grande's south side. While the north side is protected by the bay into mainland Brazil, the south side is totally exposed to open ocean. You'll find big waves here and lifeguards whistling almost constantly at swimmers going out too far. It's a popular beach for surfers because of this. It's not the best place to visit if you're hoping to spend a lot of time in the water but a beautiful and scenic location with pristine sand if you're looking for some sun. There was one food stand set up when we visited, where it was possible to buy water, beer and chips. I've read sometimes he's there, sometimes he's not, so I wouldn't depend on it. It is possible to take a boat both to and from Lopes Mendes, but you miss a lot of the adventure by doing so!
HOW TO HIKE TO LOPES MENDES BEACH, ILHA GRANDE
Our first day attempting to go to Lopes Mendes we sort of blindly took off. We figured there would be signs - how hard could it be? There was also a family in front of us almost the whole way and we joked about how helpful it was we could just follow them along. The laughs were over when we wound up at Praia de Abraaozinho, completely in the wrong direction. Oops!
So make sure to start yourself off on the right path by walking all the way to the east end of Praia do Abraão and look for the little trail headed up a slight hill heading toward Praia da Julia. The key is BEFORE you get to Praia da Julia you need to turn right. If you hit the beach at Julia you've gone too far. It's actually fairly well marked as you can see here, I dunno what we were looking at when we started on day 1 but you should be able to find it easily.
The first section of this hike to Lopes Mendes takes you to Enseada das Palmas. Of this hour long walk, the first 30 minutes will be almost all up hill. This is the hardest section of the walk so better to get it done while you're feeling fresh! Take lots of water and enjoy the beautiful scenery around you as you try to catch your breath.
Once there, Enseada das Palmas is a great spot to take a break. Congrats the hardest part of your walk is over! There are a handful of restaurants here should you need a snack or more water. It also looks like a nice spot to take a dip. With another almost two hours still to go though we didn't linger long.
To get to the next section, walk the length of Enseada das Palmas before looking for a sign that directs you right to Lopes Mendes. If I remember correctly there is a fairly steep rock with a rope guide you need to get up before heading on.
You'll climb a bit at the start but its only a 30 minute walk to your next beach, Praia de Mangues. While this beach is quite nice, I preferred the 5 minute further Praia do Pouso. To get there just continue walking along the beach straight, you'll hit Praia do Pouso shortly after.
Praia do Pouso is the biggest hub before you get to Lopes Mendes and the spot you will eventually walk back to to take the water taxi home to Abraão. There is a super cute over the water restaurant/bar here called Marola Restaurante. Even if you're not eating its worth a walk out on their cute dock.
We loaded up on water and had Argentinian empanadas before continuing on turning right at the end of the beach. If you decided to take the water taxi back be sure to pre buy your taxi ticket in advance. The people selling tickets were sitting directly in front of the path to Lopes Mendes. Boats leave at 3:00, 4:00 & 5:00 and cost 50 reals per person.
With just one section to go you are getting super close to finishing your hike. Lopes Mendes is just a quick 20 minutes further.
With a total walking time of 2.5 hours (this is not included a few breaks here or there) we finally made it! We didn't encounter a lot of other walkers and were surprised by how many people we found once we arrived. Spaces in the shade were limited so consider leaving as early as possible to get here around the same time as the water taxis. Relax the day away before heading back to Praia do Pouso for your ride home.
We got lucky and saw monkeys in the trees on our way out so keep your eyes peeled!
The boat ride back takes under 30 minutes.
Want to know more about the best beaches and what you can do in Ilha Grande? Check out our full itinerary here.
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