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Brazil's Period of Carnival Craziness - and Beyond
It’s the craziest time of the year in Brazil: carnival. We attempt to survive it in Curitiba and Morretes. Then off to Ilhabela. To relax on some beaches.
Curtibia 2 Ilhabela
Curitiba, 12th February
We’re in Curitiba and today carnival has started. Time to check out where the Samba Schools’ parade is happening this evening.
At 8 pm the parades start. Not in a Sambadrome. In Curitiba, it’s just along a road. Fortunately, there is not such a crowd that we can’t see anything.
Please note that the pics below are all borrowed from the internet. We appreciate the authors for their efforts. Kindly consider it a promotion of your valuable work. We’ve chosen to visit without a camera.
The next morning. Don’t even think about a quiet Sunday morning to recover from Saturday night’s excesses. No, it’s time for the Zombie Walk. All kinds of monsters, Rambo wannabes, victims of mass murders, and nuclear accidents make streets unsafe.
Of course, if you happen to forget to prepare accordingly, numerous places along the street will transform you into whatever you desire.
Certainly, Curitiba has more to offer than carnival. Right in the center, a small, well-preserved historic district. Part of it is a cluster of bars. It’s quite popular, especially during this time of the year.
On Sundays, there’s even a flea market in the old town. The place to buy whatever you never knew you wanted.
Morretes, 13th February
Don’t even think you’ve seen Curitiba without visiting its most famous place: Museu Oscar Niemeyer. The building was designed by the architect who conceived a great part of Brasilia, the country’s proud capital.
Inside the museum: various contemporary art exhibitions. Nicely done – even if a few exhibits might need a brief explanation.
Enough of Curitiba. We’re heading to Morretes. A small colonial town in the lowland. Just a few km away.
On the way out, we definitely feel a bit lost. The ramp to the highway leaving town is closed. Just a construction site. Unfortunately, they forgot to indicate the bypass. Nevertheless, our GPS knows it accurately. The only problem is that the bypass is closed as well. Ok, next. Same. Next. Same, etc…
Finally, after an hour and many kilometers, we’re on the highway.
A few km further we’re on the famous Estrada da Graciosa. A small and winding road, leading down the escarpment to Morretes.
Of course, during these mad days of carnival we’re not alone on the road. There are 100s of cars and bikes moving up’n’down.
The further we drive down, the hotter the temperature. Around 38°. Visibly we’re not the only 1s feeling a bit overheated.
The colonial town of Morretes receives us with a scorching 41° heat. Just too hot to sneak around for more than 20′. No wonder everybody is just chilling in the water of the river. Even if it looks quite muddy.
Of course, since we’re still in the midst of the mad carnival weekend, there are hordes of tourists everywhere. As we learn that’s a huge difference to ordinary times. It’s said that poor tourists may face problems finding a place open for dinner on ordinary weekdays.
Even in the evening, it does not really cool down. Time for a couple of ice-cold beers.
Next morning the same story. By 9 am, already around 40° heat. Yeah, we enjoy it.
In the afternoon, weather finally changes. A massive thunderstorm approaches. Temperature drops by nearly 15°.
For us, the time to visit Antonina. A village just 15 km away. Nestled at the shores of the Atlantic. Famous for its port and even more renowned for its slowly decaying colonial architecture.
Back to Morretes. Time for some street food.
Ilhabela, 17th February
It’s Wednesday, 14th February. Not only Valentine’s Day, but it also marks the end of the crazy carnival period. Life is slowly returning to normality. Of course, it’s still high season. But no longer the obligation for each’n’ever Brazi to pack their unruly kids, grandma, and aunty Fernanda Camila in their car and drive wherever they can imagine.
So, we’re planning to spend a few days on nearby Ilha do Mel. Said to be a beach paradise.
Unfortunately, the Brazi’s weather forecast clearly tells us, that we can’t expect anything else but constant rain for the next few days.
What to do? Going on the island doesn’t seem to be too reasonable. Finally, after considering all 500 options we have, we decide to skip Ilha do Mel, and drive northwards.
So, we’re on the way to Santos. A drive of about 400km. Mainly on highways.
For us, Santos seems like the perfect place to bypass São Paulo. We definitely have no intention of visiting this megacity notorious for its permanent traffic jams. Just to see 100s of 1000s of high-rising and a few historic buildings.
Fortunately, there isn’t much traffic on the roads, so we can drive at a decent speed. The scenery: hilly, and lush green, with numerous Atlantic rainforests. Supposedly nice to see, as long as it’s not always hidden by the rain, clouds, or fog.
Santos – a kind of suburb of São Paulo with nearly 500,000 inhabitants. It has 1 of the biggest ports in Brazil – mainly to export coffee.
True, the town covers quite a large area. Looks somehow decaying in the backstreets. In contrast, the waterfront is lined with relatively well-maintained high-rising apartment buildings and a park along the beach. It’s the nearest place for poor São Paulies to swim. And it looks like they’re coming in masses. Despite the very questionable water quality.
Luckily, we find a sleepery right at the waterfront. It was probably the number 1 a very long time ago. Since then, they have maintained it at their level best. Even if everything cries out for modernization in this building. But still, consider this: where else in the world can you sleep in bedsheets that were already used 150 years ago?
For the eatery, we were not so lucky. Restaurant Barão do Gonzaga. The worst food we’ve had for years. So, be warned, don’t even think about going there.
The next morning: weather still has significant room for improvement. At least, it’s no longer raining incessantly.
We leave beautiful Santos, heading for Ilhabela. Our alternative to Ilha do Mel. Just around 150km. But now no longer on a highway. Instead, it’s a winding road along the coast. Taking us thru all villages.
To start our journey, we hop on the small ferry connecting Santos and Guarujá. Pretty fast, helping us bypass all the traffic jams heading towards São Paulo. Then, quite some time along the coast until we reach São Sebastião. Sometimes, we can even catch a glimpse of the coastline.
Upon reaching São Sebastião, we have to wait a while for the ferry to take us across to Ilhabela. It seems like many other tourists have the same idea.
Finally, in the late afternoon, we reach the island. Quickly, we spot a sleepery next to the waterfront. And many cool watering holes’n’eateries within walking distance. It seems like a reasonable alternative to Ilha do Mel. Even if with a noticeable urban touch.
Imagine, we even find a Peruvian restaurant serving excellent Ceviche. What else could we expect?
The next morning. The weather finally improves. Looks like we’ll have some sunshine. At least a bit.
For us, time to explore the northern part of the island. The beaches, the villages teeming with tourist infrastructure, the hills adorned with villas belonging to the high-heeled from São Paulo. And, of course, the ultimate Insta hotspots for all these slightly artificial-looking Brazi-beauties. It’s where they can showcase to their followers for what reasons they invested so much money to achieve perfection.
We head on to the northernmost beach: Praia do Jabaquara. Said to be 1 of the best 1s on Ilhabela. Indeed, from the access road, it looks stunning, with not too many people around. We’re even allowed to pay a quite hefty entrance fee to get in.
Then we’re there. Quietly sneak along the beach. In just seconds, we find ourselves covered with these awesome, but hungry sandflies. We take a moment to observe the other folks nearby. All busy swatting the flies, spraying tons of DEET, or doing both at the same time.
Alright, it’s clear. We’ll keep our visit short. Snap quickly a few pics, a short dip in the sea to shake off the sandflies, and we’re on our way back.
Later, we come across some blogs mentioning that the renowned Praia do Jabaquara is 1 of the most sandfly-infested beaches, at least in Brazil. Maybe here the opportunity to thank sincerely all the guys managing tourism in Ilhabela and the authors of our guidebooks. They all do not mention a single word about this issue. Probably trying to keep things politically correct.
The next morning, we need a change. No more beaches, even not the sandfly-infested 1s. Instead, we’re heading to the mountains. To explore the island’s state park. A short hike along several waterfalls: Trilha da Água Branca. It’s just a 2h stroll thru dense forest. Still, pretty hot and incredibly humid.
To get permission for our adventure, a smart lady provides us with detailed instructions for the hike, the necessary equipment, and a list of the incredible dangers we may face. Then we have to register – and most importantly, we need a local phone number in case someone has to arrange our funeral. You know, just in case.
Later we explore the southern part of Ilhabela. Not very interesting. Mostly rocky beaches, a few small sandy 1s. Since it’s a Saturday afternoon it’s getting quite crowded.
Dear readers,
We think that’s enough for the time being. Going further might be a pain in the ass.
Nevertheless, don’t ignore your jealousy and wait eagerly for the next release.
Cheeeers
Monika’n’Martin