Porto Pacuíba Hotel

Twenty-four-hour tides set the rhythm at Porto Pacuíba Hotel, a beachfront four-star on Av. Leonardo Reale where the outdoor pool and sun deck give directly onto Ilhabela's Atlantic shore. Water sports facilities operate on site, removing the usual scramble for rental gear on the island.

The spa runs full-body massage and sauna sessions; the kids' club and indoor play area make this a practical base for families. The restaurant handles special diet meals on request, and a bar stocks wine and champagne for evenings on the terrace.

Ilhabela sits two hours from São Paulo via the São Sebastião ferry crossing, and the hotel's tour desk books trails into the Serra do Mar Atlantic Forest that covers roughly 85 percent of the island's interior.