The forest trail
Three waterfalls.
Jmdelboux — CC BY-SA 4.0 · MTur Destinos — Public domain · Thynane Janaina Sobral de Laia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jmdelboux — CC BY-SA 4.0
Bonete, at the far southern end of Ilhabela, is a 600-metre beach of pale sand and rough sea, home to a community of about 300 people who live from fishing and tourism. The Guardian listed it among Brazil's most beautiful beaches in 2009, and in 2026 the Best Beaches in the World ranking placed it among the hundred best on the planet; it is also one of the top surfing spots on São Paulo's north coast. There is no road. The 12-kilometre trail starts at Sepituba, where the asphalt ends in the south of the island, and runs through Atlantic Forest past viewpoints and three waterfalls, taking three to six hours and needing good fitness. Or go by sea: boats take one to two hours depending on conditions, including the villagers' own small boats.
Three waterfalls.
About 300 people.
On the north coast.
Far south of Ilhabela, São Paulo
Three to six hours on a 12 km trail from Sepituba, or one to two hours by boat.