The great escape: Rio's best-kept secret

Where do the citizens of Rio go to escape the city? They set sail for Ilha Grande – an island idyll with no cars, but plenty of beaches, wildlife and charm, says Ruby Armstrong

Placing your trust in a battered old fishing vessel and a leathery fisherman whose flip-flops are moulded to his feet is but a small leap of faith when bound for an idyllic island. After all, a gently chugging 90-minute boat journey feels like an appropriate method of transport to get to an unknown Brazilian isle: it allows you time not only to acclimatise to a slower pace of life, but also to contemplate what delights might await you.

Ilha Grande, 150km south of Rio de Janeiro, was used as a shelter for pirates and smugglers when the Portuguese first arrived in Brazil, back in the 18th century. Thankfully, access to this laid-back paradise is much safer these days: the island is making a name for itself as a tourist destination due to the extensive Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Forest) that covers much of it. When you arrive in the sleepy harbour of Abraao, the main village, you sense immediately that life moves at a leisurely pace here. This may be partly due to the lack of cars – and, indeed, banks – on the island, but it is more to do with the untouched scenery and absence of high-rise developments.

Beyond the village, a mere 10-minute walk away, the Pousada Naturalia guest house is perched on a hillside, so each room has a stunning sea view. Sunsets don't get better than when seen from your balcony on a gently swinging hammock, with a Brazilian beer in your hand.

Laurent and Henrique, the owners of the pousada, built it with a respect for the environment. Every stone unearthed during the building process has been reused. And the sympathetic way the pousada has been built means that it sits naturally against the hillside. There is, however, a gentle nod to creature comforts: the ample rooms all have air-conditioning and piping-hot showers (thankfully, there's not a TV in sight), and eight out of the 12 rooms have solar-powered water heating. Breakfast is taken in an open-sided "room" in the lush tropical garden, where hummingbirds drink from the hanging feeders and butterflies flutter in and out. A vast array of local fruits is laid out – from the smallest, sweetest bananas to jackfruit – and each day a surprise treat is produced from the kitchen: a lemon mousse one morning, fresh banana loaf the next.

Inspired by the enthusiastic directions of our hosts, we launched ourselves on an "easy two-hour walk" to the Lopes Mendes beach. The trail wound up and over steep rainforest hills, and along deserted pristine beaches.

Many of the 16 trails on the island were originally used by the Tupinamba Indians, the first recorded residents on Ilha Grande. Instead of their previous use – as a means of hunting and survival – they now lead visitors towards indulgence and relaxation. A combination of jet lag, an 11am start, and the heat meant that we arrived at the beach later than expected. But it was worth it. Before us stretched over 2km of pure white sand fringed by shady trees, and sea the colour of jade. Ilha Grande does beaches very well. Indeed, even if you chose a different beach each day, it would still only provide the merest of peeks at the 100-plus on offer.

Abraaozinho beach is a good spot (and a more manageable 20-minute walk eastwards from the pousada). But an even better way to visit a few beaches in one day, and see the coastline, is to charter a sailing boat, or join one of the many organised boat tours leaving the harbour each day to the areas not accessible by foot.

Boat tours are a popular among Brazilians, in particular the Cariocas – the citizens of Rio. They arrive for the weekend armed with beer and accompanied by extended family, grandparents included. Itineraries often include stop-offs at a lagoon, scuba-diving or snorkelling and fishing, with lunch served either on board or in fish restaurants on the shore.

After a hard day's work, small groups of fishermen congregate in the small main square of Abraao to play cards, beer in hand. Their catches find their way on to the tables of restaurants and cafés, in dishes such as the hearty bobo de camarao – a fish stew packed with seafood in a thick sauce made with manioc paste, a Brazilian staple. Lighter dishes include barbecued fish or meat, known as churrasco, with rice and vegetables.

For a body-conscious, beach-loving nation, the Brazilians love their desserts. Every night, two wheelbarrows, each carrying an enormous refrigerated glass container overloaded with treats, is set up at each end of the square. Huge passion-fruit cheesecakes, oozing chocolate cakes, and fudge balls with a caramel centre were just some of the goodies on sale. The less calorific option involves a short stroll to one of Abraao's ice-cream bars, where unusual flavours such as acai berry can be sampled.

If you do indulge in the sweet trolley, the sure-fire calorie burner is a guided trek to the 982m peak of Pico Papagayo ("parrot peak"), the beak of which can be seen poking out of the rainforest from anywhere in the village. Having learnt our lesson, we forced ourselves to leave the pousada at the break of day in an attempt to avoid most of the roasting heat. We knew it would be tough (it's rated the hardest climb on the island), but having broken ourselves in with a few easy hikes – and by emphasising that we were on holiday to our guide – we got there in the end. The views were outstanding.

Another option is the five-hour round-trip to Saco do Ceu ("bag of the sky") beach, so called because the water is so still at night that the stars are reflected on it. A short detour takes you to a waterfall called Cachoeira da Feiticeira ("witch's waterfall"); and on the beach itself there are plenty of seafood restaurants. Pirates used to hide out in this idyllic spot, but these days, less hostile, more glamorous sailors use it as a stop-off before heading to the crystal-clear waters of the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon).

Rio's best-kept secret rewards those who are prepared to take that first small leap of faith.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/the-great-escape-rios-bestkept-secret-837128.html