Most of the island is an ecological reserve and it’s managed to stay so well-preserved (in spite of being on the developed south coast) largely because of its history. It started as a pirate’s hideout, then became a leper colony and quarantine area for mostly European immigrants entering Brazil, and finally a prison for only the most dangerous and deranged criminals. The prison functioned until 1994, also serving as a political rival, erm, retreat for some time, so development has only happened quite recently.
There is still a part of the hospital/quarantine area left and it’s quite a creepy place. It was called Lazareto and you could expect to get stuck there if you were a new-comer to Brazil and you had a cold (or worse). Hell, even if you didn’t when you arrived, you’d probably pick something up before you were able to head to the mainland. Cholera was the main concern. Here’s what’s left:
There was also an aqueduct, built around the time of the hospital, which still runs through the jungle.
After pondering the ruins, we walked past a small waterfall with a pool filled with fat, speedo-clad men, took pictures of butterflies, and sat on the beach until it started raining.
We had an amazing dinner on the beach that night, Brazilian seafood and a bottle of wine, proper honeymoon stuff.
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