Pousada Toca do Mar

A peaceful spot with several rooms, and the service was great. The house’s owner speaks a little English. You can only get there by boat or by walking an hour from main Abbraão. There’s no air conditioning, but that was fine at this time of year.

If you want a quiet, rustic escape with a digital detox, this might suit you. We wanted to explore Ilha Grande, enjoy the food and culture, and have nightlife, so the place didn’t work for us. We eventually cancelled our stay and went back to the main area of Abraão because it wasn’t like the website had described. Getting a water taxi around the island was far from easy. They were very hard to find and charged a fortune for a one-way trip back to Abraão. The Wi-Fi barely worked anywhere, and the three restaurants on the neighboring beach were below average and quite expensive. Breakfast was served in a beautiful setting, but it was very basic, with scrambled eggs as the only cooked option. The generator runs from 6pm to 8am. If you aren’t up by 8, you’re left in a dark, sweaty room with no working fan, and have to shower in the dark. I’d strongly suggest researching the hotel and area before booking.

We had a great stay at Pousada Toca so Mar. The room had amazing sea views, breakfast was great, and we really liked being on a quieter beach. The staff were very friendly. Getting there was a bit of a surprise. We arrived in Abraao by boat and couldn’t find any taxi boats at first. Eventually, one offered to take us to the pousada for a lot of money, so on our first day we chose to walk for an hour and a half instead. It seems taxi boat availability depends a lot on the time of day.

Breakfast with that beach and bay view is a wonderful way to wake up. The food is thoughtfully prepared, and the rooms are simple but cozy and comfortable. Michael, Carol, Luca, and baby Gianna are such a lovely family. They love the island and welcome guests like family. It’s an amazing BnB with a stunning view. You can spend the evening stretched out on the deck, or diving off it, and enjoy the quiet and the stars. A real hideout from the city.