At Ilha do Mel, beaches are not the relevant issue, nor its vegetation, nor the distance, nor the sun. The important thing is the experience of being in a place tha combines beaches, vegetation and the absence of cars and roads. At Ilha do Mel you walk, you ride a bike, and that’s it. What you find is a few paths that are not even lit at night. To walk around them is impossible if you don’t have a good flashlight.

To Honey Island, english for Ilha do Mel, you can arrive by boat from two points: Paranagua and Pontal do Sul. The first one is closer to Curitiba and it’s the final destination of the Serra Verde Express four hour train ride, then it takes two more hours by boat, and the ride costs R$11. For those who know, the boats are similar to those we see at Tigre river in Argentina, or those used in the peruvian Amazon, in a slightly more preserved state. From Pontal do Sul, the boat ride lasts about half an hour and costs R$6, but the problem is that, if you need to take a long distance bus, you’ll have to go to Paranagua, two hours away by bus.

The closest important city to Paranagua is Curitiba, but you can easily go by bus to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre.

The island has an important number of pousadas (bed & breakfast lodges), but it’s big enough to seem empty. In fact, the beaches always have lots of free spaces, even during high season. From november to march, the demand of lodging space is high, particularly on weekends. So make a reservation beforehand, otherwise you’ll sleep in the wild. Prices go from R$30 to R$60, average, per person, for a room with private bathroom. Usually, installations are rather minimal; rooms usually include a fan -during the summer the heat is almost unbearable.

Except Praia Grande, all the beaches are extremely calm, specially Praia do Farol. It makes you feel like you’re in a giant pool. And the water temperature is higher than in Florianopolis.

In our case, we stayed near Praia do Farol and Nova Brasilia, where the boats depart to the continent. The other embarkation point is Praia das Encantadas, but we didn’t go there. There are many pousadas there, but fewer boats than Nova Brasilia.

There are many things to tell about Ilha do Mel: places to go, places to stay, where to eat. We’ll talk about them during the week, as I find more time to write. Be patient.