Sail Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro's coastline runs into a string of forested islands, quiet coves and colonial harbours before Ilhabela's steep green slopes rise straight out of the sea. This is warm-water sailing with most of the Atlantic swell kept offshore by the bay geography — flat water on most days, dense rainforest down to the tideline, and small towns that still feel like fishing villages once the day-trip boats leave. We like it for the contrast it offers: ocean legs are short, anchorages sit close together, and there's nearly always a beach, a waterfall or a hillside track within a dinghy ride of where you drop the hook.

The heart of it is Baía da Ilha Grande, the stretch of water between Angra dos Reis and Paraty scattered with over a hundred islands and sheltered coves, protected from the open Atlantic by Ilha Grande itself. The island has no road access, so beaches like Lopes Mendes and Aventureiro stay quiet even in high season. North along the coast, Ilhabela sits in a narrower channel between the mainland and the island, with stronger currents and a livelier local sailing scene built around its yacht clubs. Rio's own Baía de Guanabara, inside Sugarloaf, makes a workable base for shorter day-sails but carries more ferry and shipping traffic than the bay further south.

Sailing works here right through the year, and that's the honest answer rather than a marketing line. April to October is the dry season — steadier southeast trade winds, less rain, and daytime temperatures in the low-to-mid twenties, comfortable for passage-making. December to March is hot and humid with regular afternoon thunderstorms building over the hills, and this is also the window for frentes frias — cold fronts pushing up from the south — which can swing the wind hard into the south and build a confused, uncomfortable sea for a day or two before clearing. Check the forecast before committing to an exposed passage in that period.

Bareboat charter is available for skippers holding an internationally recognised sailing licence, though many guests here choose a skippered boat instead — local knowledge of the reef patches around Ilha Grande, and of how a frente fria is likely to behave, is worth having aboard rather than working it out from a chartplotter. Crewed catamarans suit families and groups who want the anchorages and the swimming without running the boat themselves. Day charters out of Angra dos Reis or Paraty are a straightforward way to try the bay before committing to a full week.

Bareboat monohulls in the 40-45ft range: Price on request, scaled to boat, season and length of charter. Skippered boats and crewed catamarans run higher again, reflecting crew wages and provisioning. Expect the usual extras on top of the base rate — fuel, food and drink, marina fees at either end of the trip, and a security deposit — quoted separately rather than folded into a headline number. Brazilian summer (December to February) and Carnival week push demand and price up; the shoulder months of April-June and September-October are calmer on both weather and rate. Ask us for a quote against your actual dates rather than budgeting from an average.

Day 1: pick up in Angra dos Reis, sail out into the bay, anchor off Ilha Grande for a swim. Day 2: Lagoa Azul — clear water over a wreck, good for snorkelling before the day boats arrive. Day 3: round to Lopes Mendes, walk the beach, overnight in a quiet cove nearby. Day 4: sail south to Paraty, tie up for a night ashore in the colonial town. Day 5: Saco do Mamanguá, a fjord-like inlet — motor deep in, anchor, and go nowhere. Day 6: back through the bay's smaller islands, stopping wherever the wind and the crew agree. Day 7: return to Angra dos Reis for handover.

Fly into Rio de Janeiro's Galeão international airport (GIG) for the Angra dos Reis and Paraty end of the coast, or São Paulo's Guarulhos (GRU) if you're heading to Ilhabela and São Sebastião. Angra dos Reis is roughly two and a half hours by road from Rio; Paraty is closer to four. Marinas here run a more informal check-in than a European base — expect the handover briefing to cover local hazards in more detail, particularly the shipping lanes near Rio and the reef patches around Ilha Grande. Provisioning is straightforward in Angra dos Reis and Paraty, with supermarkets and fresh markets nearby; smaller anchorages offer little beyond a beach kiosk, so shop before leaving the mainland.