There are holidays for doing. And then there are holidays for just being.
And there had certainly been a lot of doing happening so far, on our travels around Brazil.
From street art tours and sunset hikes in party-city Rio, via vast Amazonian waterways and wildlife encounters during a stay at incredible Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge, to towering cityscapes and amazing food in Sao Paulo, we had definitely managed to pack our trip thus-far chock-full of Brazilian adventures.
Now, however, we were ready for a change of pace.
In a few days' time, the next step on our 'tourist' trail would be a visit to the Portuguese colonial seaside town of Paraty, nestled amongst the forests of Brazil's Costa Verde between Rio and Sao Paulo.
Before then though, we were going to take the opportunity for a couple of days of unwinding. For some down time and some relaxing together-time.
And what better place to kick back and take a break than on Brazil's beautiful tropical island of Ilhabela! Read on for the review of our booking at trendy DPNY beach hotel, a Tripadvisor TC Best of the Best™ hotel!
How to get to Ilhabela
In all honesty, getting to Ilhabela - which is just off the coast near Sao Paulo - when visiting Brazil does require a bit of organisation.
Any journey to Ilhabela will necessarily be via the coastal town of Sao Sebastiao, which is about a 200 kilometre drive from Sao Paulo.
There are bus options running from Sao Paulo to Sao Sebastiao, which would be a cost-effective option. Alternatively, you could rent a car and drive the roughly 3 hours yourself, or you could organise a private taxi.
Since we were a bit skittish about driving ourselves around Brazil, we opted for the latter, contacting the DPNY hotel directly who helpfully arranged a driver for us with their trusted transfer partner.
It's fair to say that this is the more pricey option, but at the same time the service was top-notch, and it gave us peace of mind knowing we'd be picked up from our Sao Paulo hotel and dropped off at the DPNY door by an experienced local.
At the port in Sao Sebastiao, the next step is jumping on the Sao Sebastiao to Ilhabela ferry - departures are every 30 minutes. The ferry prices are extremely reasonable, at under £4 for a standard car (pedestrians and cyclists go free).
The crossing itself only takes about 20 minutes. Do be aware though, these ferries sit quite low in the water, and during inclement weather they may be cancelled. We've also seen it mentioned that during high season the queues for these ferries can get quite long, so consider this in advance. For our part, we had no wait at all on the September date that we arrived, and were straight onto the next departing ferry.
Most accommodation options on Ilhabela are located on the western side of the island, facing the mainland, and so the drive from the port onwards to your hotel is unlikely to take longer than another half hour, even to the furthest of the resort options.
For the DPNY Beach hotel location itself, it took us another 15 minutes via the coastal road, with some very lovely island scenery all the way.
The vibe at DPNY Beach Hotel & Spa
The vibe at DPNY Beach Hotel & Spa is 'glamorous, quirky pousada meets beach club'.
Everywhere are vibrant colours and local artworks, and all of it surrounded by the lush greenery that is Ilhabela island.
This is most definitely a 5* luxury hotel, but one that doesn't take itself too seriously - there's a feeling of sophisticated fun about it all.
Wander out the back of the hotel, and you'll find one of the best things about a stay at DPNY hotel: the beach of Praia do Curral.
Brazil is a country with no shortage of amazing beaches, nor beautiful islands. But even in that exalted crowd, Ilhabela is a stunner!
And the beach at DPNY is nothing short of magical. Set in a bay is a lovely half-moon of secluded sand with magnificent views, a decent portion of which is privately reserved for guests at DPNY.
Rooms at DPNY Beach Hotel
There's a bit of a jungle safari mood about the bedrooms at DPNY, as animal print fabrics and earthy toned surfaces are complemented with local arty statuettes dotted around and paintings by Brazilian artists on the walls.
The individually tiled theme found throughout the rest of the hotel is in evidence here too. Particularly in the vibrantly coloured en-suite bathrooms.
The 4-poster beds in the rooms all come with mosquito nets, handy in a country like Brazil where the pesky pests are near ubiquitous.
We had booked one of the 'Suites (5 Stars)': An entry-level room, the grand name notwithstanding. For a couple it was more than sufficient, with plenty of space for us and our belongings, air conditioning to combat the summer swelter, and little luxuries like dressing gowns and a nespresso machine.
And of course not forgetting those magnificent island views outside the balcony doors.
Restaurants & Bar at DPNY
If there is such a thing as an obsession with ceviche, then that is where I now find myself.
Admittedly, finding good ceviche while travelling around Brazil is not hard - South America is synonymous with this now world-famous dish, and the Brazilians do it as well as any.
But here at DPNY, the ceviche is downright out of this world! So much so that I found myself ordering it to start off every single dinner during our stay here. The stuff of legends.
The quality of the food in general at the DPNY resort is high, across the various restaurants at the hotel, all of which we tried during our 3 day visit.
Troia Restaurante
Open for dinner 6 days a week, this is DPNY's flagship restaurant, and the place for a romantic candlelit dinner.
The starters here are focused on the sea, as you might expect from a hotel looking out on the ocean.
These, and the rest of the menu, are Mediterranean inspired, running the gamut of Italian classics with a local twist, as well as Spanish, French and even north African influences.
To a dish, everything we ate at Trioa was delicious.
Bistro DPNY
Open daily in the evening, this is another DPNY restaurant perfect for dinner and for sundowners, given its location by the bar and looking out towards the bay. Depending on which table you're seated at, you can quite literally sip on a cocktail with your toes twiddling in the sand, while watching the sunset over the cove. Magical!
Bistro restaurant is also the site of our lip-smackingly delicious ceviche, and our favourite restaurant at the venue.
The menu at Bistro DPNY is again very Mediterranean focused, and here you'll find plenty of Italian classics like pastas and pizzas available, together with some amazing French desserts. Highly recommended.
Terrace restaurante DPNY
At the Terrace restaurant, you'll find a fish and seafood focused smaller menu of light meals perfect for a sit-down lunch during the day, served up with more of those spectacular seaside views.
Beach Club and Sushi restaurant
For anyone who prefers a more relaxed all-day dining experience, the DPNY Hotel has its Beach Club menu, served by the pool or at your sun lounger on the beach if you'd like.
The menu has a selection of dishes from some of the various restaurants (more ceviche - yay!), as well as a some more typical lunch time fare like burgers and sandwiches.
There is also a sushi lounge menu for delivery to wherever you are blissfully passing your day.
Honestly, DPNY hotel is tailor-made for chilling. If you so desire, you can spend your days soaking up the sun, not doing anything much more than raising your hand from time to time to attract a waiter's attention, the food and drink arriving at your side while you focus on the essential work of relaxing.
Things To Do on Ilhabela
Ilhabela, as the name implies, is beautiful! And you don't need to go particularly out of your way to appreciate it. Even the simple drive from the port to the hotel is lovely, passing as it does by typical island dwellings covered in flowering shrubs, views that come and go out to the ocean and the mainland beyond, and everything everywhere surrounded by the lush verdancy that is this island rainforest.
And as we've mentioned before, DNPY has everything you could possibly need for a relaxing break. If what you would like is to simply flop onto a beach, sip on a coconut and read that book you've been meaning to get around to, while every so often taking in the view, then DPNY Beach Hotel has you covered.
Still, for anyone who would like a slightly more active holiday, or who just doesn't want to miss out on the many other joys of this paradise island, Ilhabela offers plenty of things to do, particularly for the nature enthusiast.
Ilhabela Beaches
No list of Things To Do on Ilhabela would be complete without mentioning the beaches. These sit front and center as one of the highlights of visiting this stunner of an island. We've mentioned the lovely Praia do Curral, which you'll find right at your feet when staying at DPNY hotel.
As for other beautiful beaches, it is pretty hard to go wrong on Ilhabela and any beach you choose will be wonderful. For some suggestions, consider stopping by Praia do Julião, a popular and more secluded beach. Or Praia do Jabaquara, for something slightly more off the beaten path, with a creek to swim in. Or even Praia do Jabaquara, perfect for something smaller and quieter.
Or if you are motivated to see the Eastern coast of the island, rent or charter a jeep for a day trip to the golden curve of sand that is Praia de Castelhanos.
Trust us though, whichever you choose, beaches on Ilhabela are uniformly lovely.
Hiking around Ilhabela
Any fan of hiking around areas of natural beauty will absolutely love the hiking opportunities on Ilhabela.
There is a wealth of hiking trails that traverse the unspoiled Atlantic rainforest at the interior of the island, with many scenic lookout points.
The many trails can vary significantly in both length and difficulty, and anything from an hour or 2 of easy walking to full-day adventures is possible, so do a bit of planning before heading out, or check with your DPNY concierge.
A couple of the popular starting out points for trails include the Bonete Beach walk, which terminates at the remote Bonete Beach, for which you will need in the region of 5 to 6 hours. Or the trail to the Pedra do Sino, which leads to some lovely panoramic views during the 3 to 4 hour hike.
There are also a few hikes to see some of the spectacular waterfalls on the Island, including the trails to the Cachoeira da Toca, Cachoeira da Laje or Cachoeira do Gato.
Ilhabela Adventure Activities
Want to get even more active during your visit to Ilhabela? In that case, there are a bunch of things to do for those with a more adventurous streak. And the guys at DPNY are of course happy to help organise any activities.
There is sailing around the island, or windsurfing in the crystal-clear bays.
There are opportunities to go scuba diving, including boat trips to the amazing Arquipélago de Alcatrazes, a protected marine reserve not far from Ilhabela.
Kayaking or paddleboarding along the picturesque beaches are fun activities for a day.
Or for those looking to discover the interior of the island in a more exciting way, there is mountain biking or off-roading.
Ilhabela State Park (Parque Estadual Ilhabela)
The Ilhabela State Park is 27,000 hectares of protected rainforest, scenic mountains and pristine beaches.
Many of the above-mentioned activities take place in the park itself.
There are also tours available to discover the nature reserve, including bird watching tours, for those who would like a more guided experience of this natural paradise.
Town of Vila
The charming town of Vila is also worth a visit, for its charming and historic streets, its colonial architecture, as well as a wander along the pier and around the harbour.
Final Review of DPNY Beach Hotel & Spa
The days pass serenely at DPNY Beach hotel.
Our goal was to have some down time during what was otherwise a pretty hectic trip around Brazil, and on that front the DPNY hotel & spa certainly delivered.
Lounging on our chairs beside other similarly chilling couples, the rhythm of the days comprised nothing so much as pool time and then beach time, engrossed-in-a-book time or taking-a-walk time, sipping on coconuts while watching the tide come in.
Then meandering over to the restaurant for idle cocktailing as the day reached its end, and after a great night's sleep, doing it all again.
DPNY caters perfectly for adults looking to while away some time away from it all. (On the other hand, there were hardly any families around, and in fact only kids over 9 are generally allowed at DPNY, other than during certain periods of the year)
It's hard not to feel a sense of tranquility in a place this beautiful. Especially when all the creature comforts are all available on tap.
We loved our visit to the enchanting island of Ilhabela, and our booking at DPNY Beach Hotel & Spa was a big part of that. If ever we find ourselves back in this part of the world, we'll definitely be making our way back to this unique and sophisticated hotel.
Location - DPNY Hotel Address: Av. José Pacheco do Nascimento, 7668 - Praia do Curral, Ilhabela - Sao Paulo, 11641-000, Brazil
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