Boipeba Island

Boipeba is the next island south from Morro de Sao Paulo in the Tinhare archipelago, and the comparison is the point: it has kept the sand streets, the absence of cars and the small scale that Morro lost. Getting there involves a boat up the Una River from Valenca or a combination of boat and open tractor across the sand from Morro, which is part of why development stayed limited. There are four settlements, offshore reefs at Moreré where you snorkel in natural pools at low tide, an Atlantic forest interior, and mangrove channels behind the beaches. Cassava is still processed in the villages and oyster gathering in the mangrove is a working activity rather than a demonstration. Building is restricted by the area's protected status.

What you actually see

• No cars - sand streets and tractor transport across the island.
• Moreré tide pools - reef pools you snorkel at low water.
• Mangrove channels - the working oyster grounds behind the beaches.
• Four small settlements - the scale Morro de Sao Paulo has lost.

When to go

September to March. Three days.

Honest expectations

Access is slow and involves at least one boat, with departures limited and weather dependent. Cash is needed - card acceptance is patchy. Power cuts happen. Reef snorkelling only works around low tide.

Nearby

Morro de Sao Paulo is north across the sand; Valenca is on the mainland.