The legend says that in the beginning, when God created the earth, he made a place so beautiful, so incredibly perfect in every way that the other places got jealous. To level the playing field and quell the envy of the others, He added bugs… loads of them. That place? Ilhabela.

First things first, if you come to Ilhabela and you know you are the mosquito dem sugaaa, please just buy the Citroilha bug spray/cream. I tried to firm it with the max. strength Jungle Formula and I was literally feasted upon by the bugs – my legs were, deadass, mash up.

Second things second, have a look at the weather before you go. The main thing to do in Ilhabela is beach, which isn’t as pleasant when it’s cloudy and there are constant threats of rain.

Third things third, (and this can go for any part of the trip), but if you’re solo travelling, make sure to pick a hostel which is really social. Ilhabela is a place where a lot of Brazilians will come on holiday so loads of people in my hostel were there with friends/family/partners. Naturally, their priority isn’t to meet new people – esp. people that can’t speak Portuguese. I think the combination of diabolically itchy bug bites EVERYWHERE, less than ideal weather and feeling very lonely, contributed to my time in Ilhabela not being as great as it possibly could have been.

That being said, the island is stunning. It feels super safe, is great for hikes and for those who are super into nature and wildlife too. During Brazilian Spring/Summer, (from May to August), humpback whales come to the waters of Ilhabela to breed so it’s a great place to do whale watching.

Whilst I was there, I did a Jeep trip to Praia dos Castelhanos. It’s considered one of the prettiest beaches in Brazil and to get there you have to drive through, quite literally, the jungle from the west to the east of the island. The journey makes some stops at waterfalls, natural pools and a lookout before you arrive at the beach. There’s another lookout point at the beach called Mirante da Coração, (Heart Lookout), because… well, you can see why from the picture.

I did my tour with Ilhaeco Passeios & Adventures, through my hostel for about R$140, (£19). You can pay a little more and do the Jeep drive to the beach and then get the boat back which is quicker.

Overall, Ilhabela was…fine. I know exactly what I could have done to make it a better experience, but it’s all lessons for the rest of my trip. I really ummed and ahhed about my next destination because the journey was so long. I spoke to my Mum about it and she said, ‘oh defo. go the place that begins with ‘F’, I hear it’s beautiful’. So I did! An uber, a boat, a bus, another bus, another uber and 24 hours after I set off from Ilhabela, I arrived in the place that begins with an ‘F’…