Pequeá

What makes it special

• The sand is wide, with jundu, the native coastal scrub. On weekdays the beach is on the outrigger canoe route, at weekends boats and tours pass by, and in winter there is kitesurfing and sailing (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• A 30-metre pier marks the start of the beach and is good for fishing; many people say it has the finest sunset in Ilhabela, and there is public parking (Turismo Ilhabela). Near the beach there are bus and Aquabus stops and a cycle lane (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• The Campo de Aviação, on Rua Santos Dumont, has a beach soccer pitch and two sand courts (Prefeitura de Ilhabela), and the Pequeá team won the top category of the municipal beach soccer championship for the fourth time in 2025 (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• For the November 2025 Channel Crossing, a 3.8 km open-water swim with about a thousand entrants, swimmers boarded at the Pequeá pier (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).

What to weigh

• In February 2025, the Santos Dumont sewage pumping station, in the old Campo de Aviação opposite the Engenho D'Água pier, overflowed and sewage reached Engenho beach; the city fined Sabesp R$ 500,000 and said the company had already received seven notices for leaks that year (Prefeitura de Ilhabela).
• Cetesb, the state environmental agency, has no sampling point called Pequeá among its 19 in Ilhabela (Metrópoles); neighbouring Engenho D'Água has been rated unfit for swimming, for example in February 2022. Check Cetesb's weekly bulletin.
• In high season the beach fills up and it can be hard to find a spot on the sand (Prefeitura de Ilhabela). The boundary with Saco da Capela is also blurred: the Campo de Aviação is listed in Pequeá in the city's catalogue and in Saco da Capela in a 2026 news item. Check which neighbourhood appears on the registry record and the property tax bill.

Who it suits

Arvita’s reading, based on the facts above.

• People who paddle, stand-up paddle or fish from the pier and want calm water close to home.
• People who prefer a beach used by residents, close to the centre and away from the avenue.
• People who play or follow beach soccer and other sand sports.

Living here

• Municipal hospital: 6.0 km by car.
• Ferry terminal: 5.9 km by car.
• Clinics, specialty centres and labs within 3 km: Santa Casa de Ilhabela (non-profit); Centro de Especialidades de Ilhabela (public).
• Nearest health unit: UBS Itaquanduba, 2.3 km.
• Public schools nearby: E.M. Profª Mércia do Nascimento Dias (municipal, 0.9 km); E.M. Carolina de Moraes Silva (municipal, 2.4 km); E.M. Profª Severina Barbosa de Faria (municipal, 2.7 km).
• Private schools nearby: Acton Academy Ilhabela (3.9 km); Colégio Objetivo Ilhabela (4.1 km); Escola de Educação Infantil Jardim Waldorf Sol da Terra (4.4 km).

Approximate driving distances from the centre of the neighborhood, as of 2026-11-03. Schools and health units whose address could be placed on the map; there may be others. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Beaches

Pequeá beach, Engenho D'Água beach (next door).

Frequently asked questions

How far is Pequeá from the ferry?

About 5.9 km by car from the centre of the neighborhood to the ferry terminal.

How far is Pequeá from the hospital?

The municipal hospital is about 6.0 km by car from the centre of the neighborhood. The nearest health unit is UBS Itaquanduba, 2.3 km away.

Which schools are near Pequeá?

E.M. Profª Mércia do Nascimento Dias, E.M. Carolina de Moraes Silva, E.M. Profª Severina Barbosa de Faria, Acton Academy Ilhabela, Colégio Objetivo Ilhabela, Escola de Educação Infantil Jardim Waldorf Sol da Terra. Distances and type for each in the Living here section.

Where in Ilhabela is Pequeá?

Pequeá is in the Centre and Vila part of the island.

Other neighborhoods nearby

Cocaia, Engenho D'Água, Retiro, Santa Tereza, Barra Velha, Itaguaçu, Perequê, Vila, Costa Bela, Itaquanduba, Água Branca, Saco da Capela, Reino, Zabumba, Camarão, Toca, Saco do Indaiá