Dois Rios
Dois Rios , in Portuguese Vila de Dois Rios , is a settlement on the south coast of the Ilha Grande in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro . The place bears its name because of the two rivers that flow into the Atlantic here . A light sandy beach, Praia de Dos Rios, stretches between the two estuaries .
From 1903 to 1994, Dois Rios was the location of the Cândido Mendes penal colony of the Brazilian state. Most of the residents of Dois Rios have moved away since the prison was closed, so many houses in the settlement are now empty. Only a few former prison employees and the employees of the Center for Environmental Studies of the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) founded in 1998 still live in Dois Rios. After the prison was closed, it was blown up, but some outbuildings are still standing. There is a small museum there.
From Vila do Abraão on the north coast of the island, an almost 10 km long dirt road leads through the forest to Dois Rios. The road is the only way to get to the village by land. Since private persons are not allowed to use cars or motorbikes on the Ilha Grande, the UERJ vehicles are the only ones that are on the road here. The two to three-hour hike from Vila do Abraão to Dois Rios is a popular day trip for tourists.
Web links
- Official website of Ilha Grande (Portuguese)
- Article about the former prison on one day from November 2012
Coordinates: 23 ° 10 ′ 54 ″ S , 44 ° 11 ′ 28 ″ W