Ilhabela

Ilhabela (23.845/23°46'28" S, 46.649/46°21'20" W) is an archipelago 4 miles off the coast of São Paulo state, in Eastern Brazil. The island is 205 km (138 miles) from the city of São Paulo and 340 km (210 miles) from the city of Rio de Janeiro. In Portuguese the name means beautiful island, and its official name is São Sebastião Island. A group of islands (Búzios and Vitoria) and the islets (Cabras, Castelhanos, Enchovas, Figueira, Lagoa and Serraria) make up the municipality of Ilhabela. The islands make up 348 (130 square miles). The island has a population of 23,084 (2004). This grows during the holiday months, where it goes up to 100 thousand.

Before Portugal colonized Brazil in 1500, the Tupinambas Indians inhabited the island. They called it Ciribai, which means tranquil place. The island was named São Sebastião Island by Americo Vespuccio, on January 20th, 1502. During the 16th ceuntury, the Portuguese set up military points on the shore of São Sebastião Island. On September 3rd, 1805, the Governor of the Province of São Paulo, Antônio José da França e Horta, decreted the political-administrative independence of the county. The Island had already 3.000 inhabitants at that time. The new county was named Villa Bella da Princeza, paying homage to the princess of Beira. On November 30th, 1938, during the Getúlio Vargas' Estado Novo, an act altered the name of the county to Formosa. Six years later, on November 30th, 1944, another act ultimately changed the name to Ilhabela.

The island's highest point is São Sebastião Peak, which is 1,375 m high.

The Island has a humid tropical climate and an average temperature of between 22ºC and 28ºC.

The island is known as "The capital of sailing.", or in Portuguese as "Ilhabela, a capital da vela."

Ilhabela has a schools or a collegiate, high schools, churches, banks and a few parks.