The islands comprising the archipelago of Ilhabela were already inhabited long before the arrival of the first Europeans to Brazil. Archaeological research undertaken by Archaeological Project Ilhabela already identified in the municipality 14 pre-colonial archaeological sites, i.e. sites that were occupied by humans before 1500.
Only in 1608 is that they would establish the first settlers, bureaucrats from the Portuguese town of Porto de Santos.
However, until the twentieth century the region was shown unfeasible economically, and low population density, difficult access and inhospitable geographic eventually providing, again, the conditions favorable to arrange that nature, by its own means, a significant recovery of the environment and the Atlantic Forest.
Currently Ilhabela is an archipelago which has 70% of native forest and is preserved refuge of wealthy Paulistas (paulista is how people who was born in Sao Paulo state is called). The ban on construction of large hotels and resorts favored the emergence of hundreds of villas around the island.
Currently, the city has only one connection to the mainland via a ferry, in order to preserve the wild aspect of the island, which has 348.3 km² and a population of just over 30 000 inhabitants. It is considered one of the best locations for water sports like diving, yachting and sailing. Not to mention the dozens of “untouched” beaches due to the difficulty to access them throughout the island.
Undoubtedly, for those seeking a heaven in a tropical paradise, Ilhabela is the right choice.
