Camping Acorde

Tropical island envy alert… With its ancient coconut trees and shady palm groves and opening out onto the gorgeous sandy beach Praia das Palmas, it’s possible that even the pics of Camping Acorde will have you downing tools, donning your swimmers and setting off towards the sea.

Castaways coming to this chilled-out Ilha Grande eco site will first need to board a boat from the mainland (from Mangaratiba, a couple of hours' drive west of Rio de Janeiro). Once on the island, come prepped for an hour’s hike or armed with coins to hire a boat taxi to whisk you round there.

It's also a sensible idea to come along supplied with eats, one of the necessary conditions of tropical retreats being that they’re well insulated from urbanisation. The eco-friendly site sells some organically-produced bits, including fresh fish (caught by the team), papaya, acai, eggs from their hens and home-made chocolate (from the cocoa trees in the backyard, of course…) If you do need to stock up for evenings at the communal barbecue area or fancy a restaurant meal or beachside bar, hire a boat to take you to Vila do Abraão or hike there along a couple of kilometres of forest trail.

Once safely installed it's recommended that you sink into the slow pace of island life, perhaps following nearby trails through the woods to secluded coves or sticking around on site for watersports or, well, doing very little. If you've got nippers that need to be entertained, take them for a dip in the kids' pool or get them involved in summertime activities.