We are caiçaras! A traditional population that for many years has lived in partial isolation, and for this reason established a very close relationship with nature. Our ancestral roots and our unique culture are a result of miscegenation with slaves coming from Africa, European pirates who landed in Ilhabela, indigenous natives
who occupied our island and, more recently, of Asian influence from whom we adopted our style of artisan fishing. Castelhanos Bay, surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, became our territory, and nowadays we live in what are called traditional caiçara communities.

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We have always enjoyed receiving visitors and telling tales, and we would like to have more people visiting our caiçara villages and familiarizing themselves with our culture. The years pass, but the culture that we developed, based on nature, persists to date. It is in our gastronomy, our arts and crafts and in our families’ daily activities
and that you shall be able to experience all this when you visit.

Together, we have organized ourselves into a Communitarian Tourism Nucleus within ‘Associação Castelhanos Vive’ in partnership with ‘Associação Amor Castelhanos’, seeking a sustainable and solidary way in which to receive tourists in Castelhanos in order to generate positive impacts for ourselves and for those who
visit us and, in addition, so that we may continue preserving the unique beauty of the beaches and enable visitors to experience the most authentic integration with nature that the Ilhabela caiçaras may offer.
 

In 2017, we underwent a qualification and capacitation project that helped us set up Communitarian Tourism and all the activities that we now offer you. We hope that you may get to know a little more of our history, culture, gastronomy, our day-today activities and furthermore enjoy one of Brazil’s most beautiful regions.

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Welcome to Castelhanos!