Ilha do Mel

Usually I am not the biggest fan of the beach, just laying in a chair waiting for the sun to turn you a different color is not my idea of a good time. However, I have always wanted to learn how to surf and what better location than a carless island off the southern coast of Brazil. This island is paradise, when we read that the island has no cars I still imagined people with motorcycles, atv's, and other forms of motorized transportation, but they were right when they said no cars. People either walk or ride a bike on the beach or through the maze of sand paths. Any goods you want, food, clothes, etc. you buy from the mainland gets brought over by boat and then people either carry it on their back or pull it in a cart. Life moves at a very relaxing pace.
Reid and I stayed in a nice hotel just off of the beach. The owner is a retired pro surfer who enjoys taking people like us out to give lessons and to laugh as we struggle. The entire 3 days on this island were incredible. We spent the entire day in the water working on our surfing skills and our evening checking out the different places to eat and navigating around the island with nothing but flashlights. By the end of our way to short stop on the island, Reid and I were both very relaxed and a little bruised from wrestling with the waves. This island was by far the highlight of my stay in Brazil.

Paranagua, Brazil