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Angra / Ilha Grande
To the south of Rio lies the beautiful Green Coast. This area is famous for its forest covered mountains which seem to fall into the emerald coloured sea. The coast line is dotted with 365 islands, one for each day of the year, and 2000 beaches at your disposal. It is a paradise for sunseekers, watersports enthusiasts and nature-lovers. |
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| The City |
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Angra dos Reis is a charming seaside town which makes an excellent base for visiting the islands around. It is also a great choice for those who like sailing.
Ilha Grande is a splendorous island with 193km square of beauty and 106 beaches, waterfalls and mountains. The old jail house of "Dois Rios" (Two Rivers) allowed the tourist exploitation to be slow and controlled, keeping nature untouched. Back that time when the jail house was still working we could usually hear that an outcast had ran away and was probably looking for a boat to help him escape to the continent. As the jail house was extinguished the number of tourists grew and with it a structure of inns, and bars to provide comfort. Of course since then we have being very careful with the island natural resources. The Abraão Village Main urban nucleons full of inns, restaurants, bars and handcraft shops. There are walking tracks through the forest that lead to the beaches, water falls, and historical monuments like the aqueduct and the old leprosarium of the Black Beach. The most famous beach is Lopes Mendes, the first one on the south extreme facing the open sea. Good for sports like surfing and windsurfing. Still on the south extreme there is the South Beach a biological reserve created during the seventies when the island became a Federal Park.
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| History |
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After the Brazilian coast was officially discovered by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500, the Portuguese Crown sent to Brazil a naval fleet composed by three ships to draw a map and exploit the new discovered continent. The colonizers that were already impressed by the beauty of The Guanabara Bay got even more impressed afterwards. The naval fleet commanded by the Portuguese navigator Gaspar de Lemos got at the Long Island (Ilha Grande) in January 6th 1502. It was "Kings' Day" (Dia de Reis) and because of this special date the place was named "Kings' Creek" (Angra dos Reis). The constant rain and the air always hot and humid of the summer were decisive to make them stay in Angra a special moment. One of the members of the naval fleet wrote to Portugal: "Sometimes I felt the ecstasy of the flowers and trees' perfume so strong that I thought I had found paradise. And what I will say of the great number of birds, full of colors and their tunes, how many and how beautiful? I won't say more because I know you will never believe me."
The primitive village was raised by the aboriginal people, slaves and explorers sent by the Portuguese Crown. The local activities were mainly related to fishing, hunting and subsistence agriculture. In that time Ilha Grande, an immense island which is nowadays one of our most famous tourist points, abounded in wood and provided perfect places for ship-building. It used to be called “Ipaum-Guaçu” by Tamoios and Tupinambás, its original inhabitants.
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| General Inf |
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TELEPHONE AREA CODE
024
CLIMATE
The climate here is very similar to Rio. During the summer months (December - March) it can be very hot and the rains are most frequent in November, January and May.
CLOTHING
Casual dress during the day is fine.
ELECTRICITY
110 V
BUSINESS HOURS
Banks are open 10am - 4pm.
TAXIS
For those who are staying in hotels on the coast of Angra, taxi services can be called through reception.
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| How To Get There |
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The international airport in Rio de Janeiro (GIG) is situated 120km from Portobelo Hotel, 140km from Club Med and 170km from Novo Frade Hotel. Due to distances, a special guide service may appear expensive, but the smooth, relaxing service saves a lot of time and is most certainly worth the extra cost. Transfer takes about 3 hours to Angra, less to some of the hotels along the Green Coast. With guides giving an informative commentary it is a very pleasant trip.
For those who choose not to make use of this important service, other transport is available. From the airport, take the air-conditioned bus or taxi to the bus terminal from where buses leave regularly for the Green Coast. We recommend this option only if a guide accompanies you to the bus terminal.
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| Restaurants |
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* Canto das Canoas - Vitorino's Beach in Gipóia Island, 30 minutes by boat from the city of Angra.
Phone: 3365-5151
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| Night Life |
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The city of Angra has grown enormously in the past years and so now, with its population of about 150,000, it has bars, restaurants and discos that cater more for the locals. However, holiday-makers are spread along the green coast and so entertain themselves more within their condominiums, in exclusive yacht clubs or simply in their homes.
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Golf in the Green Coast
Novo Frade golf course was designed by Dave Thomas and Peter Allis and opened in 1982.
Clear water rivers cross the interesting course design and the landscape is dominated by the mountain ranges...
Angra Remarkable Features
Angra dos Reis (The Kings Harbor) has 365 islands and two thousand beaches filled with natural beauty, legends and excitement.
Only through sailing it is possible to know better this part of...
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