Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at Ilhabela, the bucket-list move is Private Superboat to Castelhanos & Hidden Atlantic Forest Beaches. Ilhabela Superboat Tours (local operator, bookable via GetYourGuide direct listing) runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 6 bucket-list things to do on a Ilhabela port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1water
Race by private superboat to Praia de Castelhanos, Ilhabela's most revered wild beach, flanked by Atlantic Forest peaks and crashing surf. Rated 5.0 by 180+ guests, this is the quintessential Ilhabela experience — untouched, dramatic, and utterly bucket-list.
Book it withIlhabela Superboat Tours (local operator, bookable via GetYourGuide direct listing)From BRL 250–350 per person (private group pricing available; approx. USD 50–70)
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2adventure
Explore two of Ilhabela's most secluded beaches — Indaiaúba and the legendary Praia do Bonete — by private superboat. Bonete (rated 4.7 by 1,000+ visitors) is accessible only by sea or a gruelling jungle hike; arriving by boat in luxury is the only way to do it justice.
Book it withIlhabela Superboat Tours (local operator, bookable via GetYourGuide direct listing)From BRL 300–400 per person (private charter; approx. USD 60–80)
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3adventure
Conquer Ilhabela's rugged interior in a private 4x4 Jeep, plunging through Atlantic Forest trails inside Ilhabela State Park before descending to the wild Atlantic-facing shore of Castelhanos. Rated 4.9 by 760+ guests — the island's most iconic overland adventure.
Book it withParaty Tours (private Jeep tour operator, also operating in Ilhabela)From USD 89 per person (private group pricing from USD 89, varies by group size; all-inclusive pricing available)
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4scenic
Descend into Ilhabela's jungle interior to Cachoeira da Toca, the island's most spectacular waterfall cascade — a series of natural rock pools and curtains of white water plunging through pristine Atlantic Forest. Rated 4.5 by 620+ visitors and a true bucket-list natural wonder.
Book it withCachoeira da Toca (direct site entry + local guide)From USD 48 per person (entry + guided experience)
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5water
Slip beneath the surface around Cabras Island, Ilhabela's most celebrated marine reserve, where clear Atlantic waters hide coral gardens, moray eels, sea turtles and shoals of tropical fish. Rated 4.4 by 1,600+ visitors — the finest snorkelling in the region.
Book it withIlhabela Dive & Snorkel Tours (local operator, bookable via GetYourGuide)From BRL 200–350 per person for private snorkel charter (approx. USD 40–70); scuba dive packages from USD 80 per person
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6wildlife
Trek through pristine Atlantic Forest to reach Cachoeira do Gato — Ilhabela's most dramatic waterfall, rated 4.6 by 846+ visitors — where a thundering single-drop cascade plunges into an emerald pool deep in the jungle. One of the most stirring natural spectacles on the São Paulo coast.
Book it withToursByLocals – Ilhabela Local Expert GuidesPrivate guided half-day tour from approx. USD 120–180 per person (private, all-inclusive)
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