Islands of São Sebastião: A Guide to the South Coast Islands to Visit by Boat
By MaresiasTur · · Updated on · 4 min read
Quick answer
On the South Coast, the islands of São Sebastião that receive boat tours are Ilha das Couves, Ilha dos Gatos, As Ilhas and Ilha do Montão de Trigo, all within the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte. Departing from Maresias or Boiçucanga, the tours last from 3 to 4 hours.
The islands of São Sebastião visited on South Coast boat tours lie just a few kilometers from Barra do Sahy and Camburi beaches, with one more distant exception: Montão de Trigo. All of them lie within the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte, a state conservation unit that protects the region's sea.
This guide presents each island, explains the rules that apply to anyone sailing there, and shows which route to choose from Maresias. Full guides to each island are linked throughout the text.
What are the South Coast islands of São Sebastião?
The management plan of the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte lists Montão de Trigo, Ilha das Couves, Ilha dos Gatos and As Ilhas as destinations for boat tours in the Ypautiba Sector, the part of the protected area within São Sebastião. All of them also appear on the municipality's official list of dive sites.
| Island | Where it is | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Ilha das Couves | About 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from Barra do Sahy | Toca da Velha cave, pier on the north face, dive site |
| Ilha dos Gatos | About 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from Camburi Beach | Ruins on top, artificially formed beach, schools of fish |
| Ilha do Montão de Trigo | About 10 km (6.2 mi) from the coast | 130 hectares (321 acres), caiçara community, no beaches |
| As Ilhas | Ypautiba Sector of the protected area | Two beaches for sunbathing and swimming, dive site, intense visitation |
The distances for Couves and Gatos come from the São Sebastião city tourism portal; the one for the Montão, from an academic article in the journal Confins. One important note: Ilha das Couves in São Sebastião is not the one in Ubatuba, which lies in a different sector of the protected area and has its own rules.
What is the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte?
It's a sustainable-use conservation unit created by State Decree 53,525/2008, covering about 316,000 hectares (781,000 acres) of sea off São Sebastião, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba. It's managed by the Fundação Florestal and has three sectors: Cunhambebe (Ubatuba and Caraguatatuba), Maembipe (Ilhabela) and Ypautiba (São Sebastião). The same decree created the ARIE de São Sebastião, which includes the rocky shore between Maresias Beach and Boiçucanga Beach.
The management plan was approved by Decree 66,823/2022, which sets out rules that affect anyone taking a boat tour:
- Navigation follows the Brazilian Navy's safety regulations.
- Anchoring is only allowed at points designated by the managing agency, in agreement with the maritime authority.
- In the zone that protects the most preserved islands, islets, rocky shores and beaches, boats must travel at no more than 3 knots, and dumping trash, excessive noise and campfires are prohibited.
Which boat tour should you choose to see the islands?
| Tour | Boarding | Duration | Islands on the route |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 3 Islands, shared | Boiçucanga, at 9 am, 12 pm or 3 pm | About 3 hours | Couves, Gatos and As Ilhas |
| The 3 Islands, private boat | Boiçucanga, morning, afternoon or sunset | About 3 hours | Couves, Gatos and As Ilhas |
| Montão + The 3 Islands, shared | Maresias Beach, at 9 am | About 4 hours | Montão, Couves, Gatos and As Ilhas |
| Montão + The 3 Islands, private boat | Boiçucanga | About 4 hours | Montão, Couves, Gatos and As Ilhas |
Shared tours charge per person and need at least 8 participants per departure. Private boats charge per boat and are booked via WhatsApp. To decide, see shared or private and the price table in how much a boat tour costs in Maresias. Boarding details are in the guide to boat tours in Boiçucanga.
What can you see in the water?
There's no fish census specific to these islands, but a study published in Neotropical Ichthyology recorded 106 species on the rocky shores of the São Sebastião Channel and nearby islands, with the sergeant major, the brown demoiselle, the silver porgy and the butterflyfish standing out. The management plan records juvenile green sea turtles, an endangered species, feeding in the region, and mentions turtle sightings among the activities on tours to the sector's islands.
The golden rule is to look without touching or feeding. The guide to snorkeling in São Sebastião explains how to enjoy the stops safely.
Is Ilhabela also one of the islands of São Sebastião?
No. Ilhabela is a different municipality, and the sea around it forms the Maembipe sector of the protected area. From Maresias, you can get there on the private boat tour to Ilhabela, which takes about 6 hours and departs at 9 am from Boiçucanga. The comparison between going by boat or by ferry is in Maresias to Ilhabela: boat or ferry.
When to go and what to bring?
Tours depend on sea conditions. If weather or maritime safety cancels the departure, travelers choose between rescheduling at no cost or a full refund. To plan the date, see the best time for tours in Maresias; for your bag, see what to bring on the boat tour.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the South Coast islands of São Sebastião?
- The ones that receive boat tours are Ilha das Couves, Ilha dos Gatos, As Ilhas and Ilha do Montão de Trigo, all in the Ypautiba Sector of the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte.
- Which island is closest to the coast?
- Among the islands with a distance published by official sources, Ilha dos Gatos, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from Camburi Beach. Ilha das Couves is about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from Barra do Sahy, and Montão de Trigo is about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the coast. The sources consulted don't report the distance for As Ilhas.
- Can you visit the islands from Maresias?
- Yes. The shared tour with Montão de Trigo departs from Maresias Beach at 9 am. The 3 Islands boat tours, visiting Ilha das Couves, Ilha dos Gatos and As Ilhas, depart from Boiçucanga Beach, near Maresias.
- Are the islands of São Sebastião a protected area?
- Yes. They lie within the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte, created in 2008 and managed by the Fundação Florestal, with rules for navigation, anchoring and trash disposal.
- Does Ilhabela count as one of the islands of São Sebastião?
- No. Ilhabela is a different municipality. From Maresias, you can get there by private boat on the roughly 6-hour route that boards in Boiçucanga.
