Angra dos Reis

Introducing Angra dos Reis

The savage beauty of Angra dos Reis’s tropical, fjordlike coastline has been badly blemished by industrialization. Supertankers dock in Angra’s port, a railway heads inland to the steel town of Volta Redonda, and the nearby Petrobras oil refinery and nuclear power plant stick out like sore thumbs. If you’ve got your own wheels, there are plenty of gorgeous beaches to explore east and west of town, but for those traveling by bus, the main reason to pass through Angra is to catch the ferry for Ilha Grande.

Angra’s helpful Centro de Informações Turísticas (3367 7826; cit@angra.rj.gov.br; Av Ayrton Senna 580; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri & 9am-4pm Sat & Sun) between the bus station and the ferry docks provides local hotel referrals and information on Ilha Grande. Along Av Julio Maria near the docks, you can stock up on cash at Bradesco or HSBC ATMs before heading out to Ilha Grande. There’s also apost office at Praça Lopes Trovão.

A great lunch option only steps from the ferry is Fogão de Minas (Rua Júlio Maria 398; per kg R$15.95) serving delicious and inexpensive self-serve mineiro food.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009