Angra dos Reis: a breathtaking paradise
ANGRA DOS REIS : A breathtaking paradise
By Leila Monteiro Lins / Photo by TurisAngra ( Ilhas Botinas, Angra dos Reis, RJ)
Located in the southern state of Rio de Janeiro, the Green Coast region is extremely popular with international and domestic tourists. The 365 islands are surrounded by emerald green waters and the 2000 beaches provide visitors with the chance to experience unforgettable moments of enlightenment. Amongst the most visited cities are Angra dos Reis, which is one and a half hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is imperative to mention the historic Paraty, this historic region will sweep you far into the past and is only three and half hours from Rio.
Surrounded by Atlantic Forest and blessed by Mother Nature, Angra dos Reis is flooded with great islands, urban and wild beaches. Upon arriving, Angra dos Reis is “love at first sight” and right away plans are being made to return to such beauty. Many tourism magazines consider the region the most beautiful for sailing. It features a generous archipelago located inside a large bay, with endless options of activities and attractions. Get yourself on a boat and be prepared to be mesmerized by your journey into the unknown.
Brazilian Caribben
Cataguases Island located in Angra Bay, is also known as the “Brazilian Caribbean.” This island is a must see to those who appreciate paradise-like landscapes. The Botinas Islands, with its crystal clear waters is an escape to a land of magic, this is one attraction that should not be missed.
Another area popular with visitors is Gipoia Island, located 30 minutes by boat from Angra Bay. The island offers an excellent tourist infrastructure with hotels, restaurants and bars. For those of you who are sun worshippers, the best beaches are Gipoia, Flechas and Vitorino.
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Gino Zamponi is the president of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for Angra dos Reis. He is very excited with the potential of the area becoming an international tourist destination. “The creation of the bureau last year was done with the goal of integrating the tourist sector and advertising Angra nationally and internationally”, says the entrepreneur who invested in a hotel in Angra.
Last year the city participated at the International Tourism Market of Latin America, in Argentina. According to Zamponi, this was the first event at which Angra dos Reis was present, and represented an important opportunity to officially introduce the city to investors and entrepeneurs from all over the world. “Without the support of the bureau this wouldn’t be possible”, he says. “Our goal is to show Angra dos Reis’ beauty and to fortify the investments in the tourist sector.”
Ilha Grande (Big Island) is an ecological sanctuary, surrounded by hundreds of beautiful beaches with trails, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and mountains. A tourist has three options of arrival to Ilha Grande. Transportation from downtown to Vila do Abraao (Abraao Village) via taxi, bus, car and then take a catamaran or ferry. The catamaran has the capacity for 120 people and leaves Santa Luzia station at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 4 p.m. The round trip ticket costs CAD$ 30. The ferry has a capacity of 500 people, leaves at 3:30 pm on weekdays and at 1:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The ticket costs CAD$5 during the week and CAD$9 on weekends and holidays.
Services
Location Angra dos Reis is located 170 km from Rio de Janeiro and 410 km from Sao Paulo.
Hospitality Many hotels and bed and breakfasts in the region have their own marinas.
Food The region specializes in seafood.
Diving courses International certificate, recognized in 185 countries. The course takes four days.
Tourist information Angra dos Reis Convention & Visitors Bureau: http://www.angradosreiscvb.com.br TurisAngra : http://www.turisangra.com.br.