Ilha Diana is a tiny fishing village that technically belongs to Santos — but in reality it feels like a completely separate world, sitting on a remote patch of land in the middle of the Diana River.
Except for one weekend a year (in August), the place is quiet and almost empty.
And the best part: you get there by boat.
The boats are actually municipal public transport, not a tourist attraction. They exist for locals who need to get in and out of the village — which is why the ride is almost free. When we went, it cost 50 centavos for a round trip. They didn’t even charge for Eva.
The boats depart from the far right side of Parque Valongo.
Schedule (and Why It’s Worth Checking Twice)
The boats run very infrequently, and the schedule board is… not exactly self-explanatory. Before the trip I double-checked it in several places just to make sure I understood it correctly.
Basically, you have to read it by columns:
- Santos column — departures from Santos
- Ilha Diana column — departures from the island
Depending on the day of the week, it’s very easy to get stuck on one side if you misread it.
We arrived a bit early to make sure we wouldn’t miss the boat. The schedule turned out to be perfectly accurate.
The Boat Ride
Honestly, the whole idea of the trip started just because we wanted to ride the boat. And it was totally worth it.
This little vessel came to pick us up. Next to the giant cargo ships in the port it looks absolutely tiny.
But it does the job just fine.
Neither trip was crowded. On the way back we were almost the only passengers.
Along the way you pass huge ships in the port and a railway bridge.
There’s also a surprisingly picturesque naval base. Some boats stop there, some just pass by.
After the base the scenery starts to change — it becomes less and less urban.
These mangrove forests are actually used for separate tourist boat tours. If you’re lucky, you can spot bright scarlet birds here. They look completely unreal.
And somewhere in the middle of this quiet wilderness sits the destination — Ilha Diana itself.
A very, very small fishing village.
The island normally has a recognizable yellow pier, although when we visited in October it was closed for repairs. I’ve since seen photos showing that it’s already open again.
What to Do on Ilha Diana
To be honest — not that many things. And that’s kind of the point.
You can grab something to eat — there are a few cafés on the island.
You can take a boat tour around the mangroves. Or you can simply walk around and see how people live here.
We found outdoor gym equipment, a small playground, and a lot of boats.
There’s also the Bom Jesus church, which was apparently built in just four days.
The church is the reason for the big festival that happens here every August. During those few days the island becomes extremely crowded — boats run extra trips and rides become free.
But the crowds are huge. The atmosphere is almost like people are waiting for a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. But in reality, the main attractions are fried fish and local bands. Still, it must be quite an experience.
Despite the simplicity of the place, it was really interesting to see how people have built their lives here.
Getting here isn’t easy for sure. Boats everywhere.
Boats, boats, and more boats.
And occasionally things like this mysterious foundation in the middle of nowhere.
Overall, it’s a great way to change the scenery for a while. It feels completely different from Santos — even though technically it’s still the same city.
Eva was actually a bit scared on the boat — it was her first ride. It took two more trips for her to get used to it.
On her birthday we took another boat to a fortress in Guarujá, and that was still a little scary. But later I brought her along on a technical visit around the port area — and by then she was already enjoying the ride.
Oh, and the docking system is surprisingly low-tech but very reliable.
This is the captain. He literally holds the whole construction in place while people get on and off the boat.
You also pay him directly for the ride.
And of course it’s impossible to pass by Parque Valongo without walking through the park itself.
If you’re looking for something different from the usual beach walk in Santos, this little boat trip is a surprisingly fun way to spend a couple of hours.
It’s simple, a bit quirky, and feels like a tiny hidden corner of the city that many visitors never see.
Tchau!