×

Brazil🇧🇷 | national parksIlha do CardosoCar-free island, Marujá beach, mangrove channels, empty beaches | things to do and best time to go

Explore Morro do AnhangavaExplore Anavilhanas National Park

Backpacking in Ilha do Cardoso
👌 Worth visitingnational park ranked #22
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 19, 2026

Whether to commit to the boat from Cananéia or stay on the mainland tips on how much you value silence over convenience: Ilha do Cardoso has no cars, no roads and almost no shops. It sits in the far south of São Paulo state, Brazil. The trails are steep and muddy, and skip the beaches if rain is forecast. I stepped off the boat onto Marujá’s sand and heard only frogs and surf, which beat any lobby music. Spend your first day walking to the nearest beach, then swimming.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Brazil Travel Guide.


example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
Loading the map 🌍
CLICK TO FILTER
cities
towns
villages
landmarks
national parks
hikes
beaches
attractions
festivals
regions
SHOW COUNTRY’S BESTSHOW ALL

✨ Why go?
Ranked #22 national park in BrazilWhat sets this place apart

Ilha do Cardoso suits self-guided travelers because the island is a state park of Atlantic forest, mangrove and restinga with no roads or cars, so you walk everywhere at your own pace. The villages of Marujá and Pereirinha offer simple camping and basic lodging, and the coast trails link beaches you will often have to yourself. Guides are optional on the main routes, though useful for the longer, harder crossings. Few places on this coast feel so remote yet remain this reachable.

💡 HighlightsDon't-miss highlights and experiences

  1. Praia de Marujá: a long, quiet beach beside the main village, with calm water and the easiest base for exploring.
  2. Cachoeira Grande: the island’s best-known waterfall, a short boat ride and forest walk from Marujá, good for a cool dip after hot beach hours.
  3. Praia do Itacuruçá: a remote stretch of sand that sees few walkers, ideal if you want solitude.
  4. Mangroves of the Cananéia estuary: dark channels where you can spot crabs, herons and, with luck, monkeys on a boat ride.
  5. Praia do Foles: a wide, wild beach on the island’s southern coast, rewarding for long beach walks.
Skip Praia do Foles if time is short, since the walk there takes a long day.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right time of year

  • Dry Season (May to September): Cooler and clearer, 15 to 25°C (59 to 77°F), with fewer mosquitoes and the best trail conditions. Days are shorter, around 11 hours of light.
  • Summer (December to March): Hot and humid, 22 to 32°C (72 to 90°F), with heavy afternoon downpours. Beaches fill with Brazilian holidaymakers, and lodging prices climb around Christmas, New Year and Carnival.
  • Shoulder Months (April, October, November): Mild, uncrowded, and quiet on the trails.
Book boat transfers ahead and avoid the New Year week.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: excellent for travelingAUGAugust: excellent for travelingSEPSeptember: excellent for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: good for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
when-to-go

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutBrazil Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Brazil
The digital guide (410 pages) contains:
✅ 146 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 14, 21 & 30-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
✅ Works completely offline
✅ Optimized for phone use
✅ Useful in remote areas & buses
✅ Everything in one place
Stop searching, start planning
Get instant access to your full guide. 30‑day money-back guarantee.
+ Add another guide for just

By proceeding you agree to our terms.
Sent to your inbox immediately after payment • 100% Secure Checkout
Best Backpacking Travel Advisor 2025 tourism awardBest Backpacking
Travel Advisor
2025
What others say about Take Your Backpack Guides:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic, amazing amount of information!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My goodness this is amazing, it's what I've been looking for hats off too you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this is absolutely BRILLIANT
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very complete and informative. It's still missing places, but I gotta to commend you
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is truly amazing, thank you, can't wait to explore it with my kids!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awesome resource, thank you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is amazing! Can't wait to explore the ones I haven't seen
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this! Well done, great idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for taking the time to make this gem!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This might be the best website I've ever seen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Congratulations, and thank you so much for your work; it's incredibly valuable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In all seriousness I think you did a great job pointing out the important spots
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10/10 very good
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As someone who's only just starting to visit regularly this is awesome, thank you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you very much! I'm going to visit my dad, it's going to be very useful!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is really cool! We'll be travelling for the first time and this definitely come in handy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You are now our minister of culture, congratulations 👨‍💼
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just wanted to tell you that this is a pearl! Going to follow your recommendations.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is so cool. I'll definitely be using the resource for my travels soon.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is very impressive! Good work.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is an amazing and informative site. Very well done!

🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

Cananéia is the most practical base, with hostels and pousadas about 30 to 60 minutes by boat from the island's villages, at roughly US$15 to 25 for a dorm bed and US$40 to 70 for a private room. Inside the park, Marujá village has simple family pousadas and camping, roughly US$10 to 15 for a tent site and US$30 to 55 for a room. Pereirinha and Itacuruçá also have a few basic guesthouses. There are no hotels, and electricity is limited, so carry cash and a flashlight. Ilha Comprida is a quieter alternative to the mainland.
Best hostels in Brazil


Best quality hotels in Brazil

👛 Costs (as of 19 October 2026)How expensive it really is

A realistic backpacking budget for Ilha do Cardoso is about US$38 to 100 per day, mostly for lodging, boats and food.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Entrance feeUS$0 to 3Access is mostly free, though a small local or environmental fee can apply.
Accommodation (high season)US$15 to 55Camping is cheapest, and basic pousadas in Marujá fill up in summer.
Local transportUS$8 to 20Boat transfers from Cananéia vary with group size and destination.
Food and suppliesUS$12 to 22Home-cooked fish and rice meals at pousadas, with few shops on the island.
Total Daily BudgetUS$38 to 100Midpoint around US$70 for most backpackers.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

🥾 TrailsHiking Ilha do Cardoso national park: highlights and difficulty

Ilha do Cardoso is a state park on the southern tip of the São Paulo coast, and walking here means sand, roots and boulders, with no roads and no cars. Trails are mostly flat to moderate, but the sun and humidity make them feel harder than the distances suggest.
  • Cachoeira Grande: Reached from Marujá by a 15-minute boat ride and a 20-minute forest trail, with a pool for swimming at the base.
  • Perequê to Praia do Pereirinha: A wooden walkway leads from the Perequê visitor center into the mangrove, and about 1 km of walking brings you to Pereirinha beach.
  • Marujá beach walk: Flat sand walking of about
… read more 👉
Ilha do Cardoso is a state park on the southern tip of the São Paulo coast, and walking here means sand, roots and boulders, with no roads and no cars. Trails are mostly flat to moderate, but the sun and humidity make them feel harder than the distances suggest.
  • Cachoeira Grande: Reached from Marujá by a 15-minute boat ride and a 20-minute forest trail, with a pool for swimming at the base.
  • Perequê to Praia do Pereirinha: A wooden walkway leads from the Perequê visitor center into the mangrove, and about 1 km of walking brings you to Pereirinha beach.
  • Marujá beach walk: Flat sand walking of about 2 to 3 hours that can be done at low tide, with long open horizons.
Wildlife is the draw: brown howler monkeys, tropical birds, and ghost crabs. Dolphins are often seen near the estuary.
Getting here requires a boat from Cananéia, which is reached by bus from São Paulo or Curitiba. Crowds stay small, except in peak summer holidays and long weekends. The park charges a modest entry fee, paid in reais, and guides are required for some of the longer routes.
⚠️ Hiking info can sometimes be outdated or inaccurate. Before you hit the trail, check the latest conditions with locals. If you do spot anything that's off, I'd love to hear from you, so I can update it for fellow travelers.

🛡️ SafetyScams, Hazards, and Annoyances

Ilha do Cardoso is remote and lightly developed, so self-reliance matters more than danger. Trails are sandy or muddy, and the long beach walks are fully exposed, so bring sun protection and plenty of water. Tides affect river and beach crossings, so check them before setting out. Mosquitoes and biting flies are common, so pack repellent. Wildlife such as monkeys and snakes keeps its distance if you stay on trails and never feed animals. Phone signal is patchy, so tell your host your route.
Check Country Safety

FAQTraveler FAQ

Two to three days is enough for Ilha do Cardoso if you want to see the main sights. Day one covers the boat from Cananéia to Marujá and its long beach, and day two can be the boat and trail to Cachoeira Grande. A fourth day suits slow walkers who want to cross the island to Cambriú.
Yes, Ilha do Cardoso is accessible only by boat anyway, so a car is no use there. Public transport reaches Cananéia from Registro or São Paulo in about 4 to 5 hours, and from there boats serve Marujá, Pereirinha and Itacuruçá in roughly 30 to 90 minutes, costing about US$8 to 20 per person.
Ilha do Cardoso has no significant formal entrance charge for most visitors, though small local fees or boat-related charges can apply, usually under US$3. Camping and guided activities should be arranged through your pousada in advance. Bring cash in reais, since card machines are rare in the villages.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Brazilian national parks near Ilha do Cardoso

Explore more nearby:


💡 Not sure where to go next?
Create a personalized itinerary for Brazil including Ilha do Cardoso and the places that fit your trip.

Generate my itinerary

👉 Discover all national parks

Or checkout all Brazil has to offer (think cities, towns, villages, national parks, hikes, beaches, festivals)
Explore Brazil
Country photo of Brazil
© Google Images

We 💚 feedbackWhat to keep in mind

Ilha do Cardoso works best as a quiet two or three night break between Paranaguá and Iguape, or along the Cananéia and Ilha Comprida stretch of coast. I would pack all food, bring insect repellent and keep the longer trails for a dry morning.

✈️ When did I visit Brazil?
Call it good timing or luck, but I was able to celebrate Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro in February 2022, after a round trip in the north and east coast.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Brazil, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



🙋‍♂️ Give feedback

👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

Read the full story