Ilha Grande

Lindsay Terkelsen
University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

From August to December 2013, I studied abroad at PUC Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Being in Brazil was an amazing experience to say the least, but I also ended up learning a lot about Brazil, its people, and myself. Not only was I able to study at a prestigious private university, but I also was able to explore some of the most beautiful parts of Brazil.

One of these places was Ilha Grande, which means “Big Island” in Portuguese. Ilha Grande is located off the southern coast of Brazil and is known to be a key ecological conservation in the area. After a few days of exploring the island, my friends and I decided to explore the waters surrounding the island. We rented a boat and headed out to a pristine bay where we were able to snorkel and see all kinds of marine animals. Later, our driver dropped us off for a hike to a remote waterfall. Those experiences were truly some of the most memorable of my entire study abroad experience. Although most of my time in Brazil was spent in the cityscape of Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande and other places reminded me about the natural beauty that Brazil possesses.