Bonete

What makes it special

• The Festa de Santa Verônica, about 190 years old, is one of the oldest religious celebrations in the archipelago: it runs from 1 to 9 July, with a novena, the raising of the saint's mast, a parish fair on the sports court and Mass at the Capela Santa Verônica (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• The beach has a wide strip of sand and a rough sea, and at the right-hand end, by the rock wall, the bigger waves draw surfers (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). In 2026 Bonete was ranked 78th in the international Best Beaches in the World list, the only beach on the São Paulo coast to make it (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• E.M. Antônio Honório dos Santos, on the beach itself, is a traditional-community municipal school that teaches pupils of every stage in mixed-grade classes (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• Primary health care for the traditional communities is provided by a roving family-health and dental team of ten professionals, with its fixed base on Praia do Bonete (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• The city invested about R$ 2 million in biodigesters to treat the community's sewage, and by January 2023 about 70 homes were connected (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). In March 2024 the city reported that Bonete had also received improvements to its water intake and a covered sports court (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).

What to weigh

• The walk takes about five hours on average and starts at Ponta da Sepituba (Prefeitura de Ilhabela), at the end of the SP-131 (Fundação Florestal). The management plan forbids widening the trail or using it with motor vehicles (Fundação Florestal, PEIb management plan), and boat trips depend on the weather (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). Serious emergencies have needed Civil Defence, the Fire Brigade and the marine fire unit: in November 2018, two people injured in Bonete were seen by the local clinic's nurse and taken to hospital (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• Power comes from the sun and from generators: buildings run on solar panels and generators, people use torches to get around at night, there is no satellite signal and the internet is weak (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). In 2017 residents relied on solar panels, a hydroelectric source and an ageing diesel generator (Prefeitura de Ilhabela), and in 2022 the city surveyed the homes' solar panels to regularise them with the power company (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). Ask what power system the property uses and who maintains it.
• Buying here is legally delicate. The management plan protects traditional land use, with no subdivision and low density, and restricts opening new roads because they drive settlement and property speculation; the same document notes that no state land-title action (ação discriminatória) is on record for Ilhabela, which makes it hard to establish who owns each property (Fundação Florestal, PEIb management plan). Before paying any deposit, consult a lawyer with experience in traditional communities and protected areas.
• The ground needs care: the management plan describes the Bonete sector as highly sensitive to disturbance, with a risk of erosion and of flash floods carrying debris flows (Fundação Florestal, PEIb management plan). Have the lot assessed by a specialist before buying.

Who it suits

Arvita’s reading, based on the facts above.

• People who want to live without a car, are happy to arrive on foot or by boat and plan ahead for shopping, building work and emergencies.
• Surfers and hikers who want the beach and the waterfalls along the trail as part of everyday life.
• Buyers who respect the caiçara community and will check the land-title and environmental status with a lawyer before closing.

Beaches

Praia do Bonete.

The market here

Asking prices in listings, not sale prices. Median of active listings from Ilhabela agencies Arvita follows daily, each property counted once, as of 2026-11-04. Figures appear only with at least 5 listings.

Frequently asked questions

How many properties are for sale in Bonete?

As of 2026-11-04, 6 properties listed for sale, each counted once even when several agencies list it.

Where in Ilhabela is Bonete?

Bonete is in the East part of the island.