Where to stay in Honey Island: the best neighbourhoods (2026)
Photo : Petite-Terre
Ilha do Mel is a car-free island where the local administration notes that the trails serve as the streets. You arrive by boat and carry your luggage across the sand. Picking your spot to stay therefore hinges on two simple details: which pier you step off at, and how far you will have to haul your bags through the sand afterward.
CADASTUR, the official registry for Brazilian lodging, lists 29 properties here with a total of 992 beds. It classifies none of them as traditional hotels or youth hostels, leaving only pousadas, 25 of which have fewer than 20 rooms. Three areas cover the island: one for each pier, plus the northern shore. The final boat leaving the island departs at 17h.
To start, to get to Ilha do Mel, you will arrive at either Encantadas (my case) or Nova Brasília coming from Pontal do Sul or Paranagua (my case again). Access is by boat in any case.
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At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that suits you to head straight to the recommended neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood map in Honey Island
Get your bearings on the neighbourhoods and must-see sights before choosing where to drop your bags. Click a name to jump to its description.
Encantadas The southern pier
for the cave, camping, and small pousadas
This is the southern village, and the larger of the two, with half of the island's registered accommodations clustered within 800 metres of the pier. The Gruta das Encantadas sits 600 metres from the landing according to the island authority, and the only officially declared campground on the island is located here. The downside is the geography, as the Farol das Conchas is 5,400 metres away and the Nova Brasília pier is 4,900 metres away.
This pretty cave on the southeast side of the island is only accessible at low tide, which is fortunate. At high tide, good luck, and I imagine it gets pretty dangerous given how strong and rough the current runs.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
A Ilha Verde Luxury
The largest pousada in Encantadas on the official inventory features 25 rooms and 75 beds, open since 1990. It faces the main beach just to the right of the pier, and its gate opens straight onto the sand.
Fim da Trilha Mid-range
15 rooms and 45 beds at Prainha das Encantadas, including one wheelchair-accessible room. Out of the 29 registered addresses on the island, this is the only one listing French alongside Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Pousada Marimar Mid-range
24 oceanfront rooms in Encantadas, complete with their own kitchen so you do not have to head back out for dinner.
Pousada do Ronaldo Budget
8 accessible rooms and 16 accessible beds on the books, while other pousadas in Encantadas only report 1 or 2. Shared kitchen and grill area, located 450 metres from the dock according to the pousada.
Pros
- Half of the island's accommodations, grouped around a single pier
- The cave, restaurants, and camping all without getting back on a boat
Cons
- The other pier is 4,900 metres away, and the walk takes you on foot
- The cave can only be reached at low tide
Nova Brasília From the north dock to the lighthouse
to step off the boat and drop your bags right away
The second dock opens onto Praça Felipe Valentim and a long sandy trail running across the island to the ocean. Pousadas line this path, anywhere from 170 metres to 1,220 metres from the boat, with less than 600 metres separating the calm bay from the ocean side. The Farol das Conchas, lit in 1872, caps the trail with a climb of 150 stairs. The trade-off is the distance: the furthest spots sit 1,220 metres from the dock, and the whole trek is through deep sand.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Astral da Ilha Luxury
The largest stay on the island according to official records, featuring 29 rooms and 116 beds split across two wings. It also sits closest to the Farol das Conchas at 720 metres away. The main draw is the handled logistics: the team organizes the boat crossing, mainland parking, and luggage portage. Dogs are welcome with no weight limits.
Bossa Beach House Mid-range
13 rooms right on the main sandy path, 510 metres from the dock. Official counts credit it with 11 accessible rooms and 33 accessible beds, while no other spot on the island lists more than 8.
Pousada das Meninas Mid-range
9 units in Vila do Farol, which the pousada breaks down into 3 chalets, 4 suites, and 2 rooms. It sits 630 metres from the Nova Brasília dock, with Praia do Farol starting right behind it.
Pousada Treze Luas Mid-range
15 rooms and 42 beds on the northern Praia de Fora, including 1 wheelchair accessible room. The pousada is in the village of Nova Brasília, tucked between the dock and the lighthouse.
Pousada Trilha do Farol Budget
9 rooms and 35 beds on Praia do Farol, according to the official registry. Its name means the lighthouse trail, pointing straight to its location as one of the smallest spots on this side of the island.
Pros
- The boat drops you off 170 metres from the first pousadas
- Less than 600 metres separate the bay from the ocean
Cons
- The furthest addresses sit 1,220 metres from the boat
- The sandy path is the only route, and everyone uses it
Limoeiro and Fortaleza To the north, toward Fortaleza
to sleep far away from the two villages
North of the dock, the shoreline curves toward the bay where the water is calm and catches the sunset, while the opposite shore gets the sunrise. Pousadas space out along Praia do Limoeiro and Praia do Istmo, and you will rarely cross paths with other walkers. The tradeoff is distance, as the furthest spot out by Fortaleza sits 3,100 metres from the dock.
Where to stay in this area
Ilha do Mel Lodges Luxury
5 duplex lodges facing Praia do Istmo, featuring 4 lofts measuring 40 square metres and 1 master lodge measuring 80 square metres. The property has its own ramp for boats and water taxis so you step off right at the front door instead of hauling your luggage down the sand. It also features an on-site bistro reserved exclusively for guests.
Pousada Pôr do Sol Mid-range
9 rooms and 33 beds right across from Praia do Limoeiro, featuring a bar-restaurant and patios overlooking the bay. It sits 1,130 meters away from the Nova Brasília dock.
Pousada Dona Quinota Budget
16 rooms and 46 beds at Praia da Fortaleza, on the northern tip of the island next to the 1679 fort. It is 3,100 meters away from the Nova Brasília dock, making it the longest walk in this guide, and no scheduled water taxis dock on this side.
Pros
- Sunsets right outside your window over the bay
- Hardly a soul on the sand once you leave the village behind
Cons
- 3,100 metres separate Fortaleza from the dock, and no regular water taxis stop there
- You have to walk to reach the neighboring pousada
Our tips for booking the right place
- The last boat: It dictates everything else. From Pontal do Sul, the official ferry company runs departures from 8 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Thursday, and until 6 PM on Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, boats run every 30 minutes but stop at 5 PM. Going the other way, you leave the island between 8 AM and 5 PM daily. From Paranaguá, there is only one departure on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 3:30 PM, with the return trip leaving in the morning on those same days, meaning arriving that way commits you to at least 2 nights.
- A backpack instead of a suitcase: The island service rules are clear: its trails connect the piers, houses, beaches, and viewpoints, and they are the only ways to get around. Priority goes to pedestrians, then cyclists, and then hand-pushed carts, while the only allowed vehicles are small electric carts reserved for public services and emergencies. Pack a bag you can carry over sand rather than a wheeled suitcase.
- The tides, the cave, and the lighthouse: Two sights depend on the water level. The Gruta das Encantadas, located 600 metres from the southern pier, is only accessible at low tide. The Farol das Conchas is reached via a forest trail followed by a 150-step staircase, and Petite-Terre, whose reviews are the only ones the island has received on Avygeo, warns that you have to scramble over rocks using ropes if you take the beach route. Check the tide schedule before you plan your day.
- Booking a ticket for one pier and planning to spend the day at the other. There are 4,900 metres of separation between Encantadas and Nova Brasília, and the trek is done on foot over the sand with no shuttle service.
- Expecting a quiet night during holidays. The island sets its own curfew for outdoor speakers: midnight Sunday through Thursday, 2 AM on Fridays, and 3 AM on Saturdays during high season. In the off-season, it is midnight every night. Aim for a weekday stay if you want actual sleep.
- Showing up after the last boat. There are no bridges and no roads, with the final crossing leaving at 5 PM on weekends and no later than 6 PM on weekdays. A delayed bus leaves you stranded on the mainland.
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