Ilha Grande had been a real Brazilian Tortuga for few centuries. So, Dutch, French, and Portuguese pirate ships appeared in the local waters; they also often fought with each other and the other ships that protected the sea lanes from privateers. Today there are more than 30 sunken ships in the local water area; some of them lie in depth and even divers-beginners can get there. Most of the things which were found on the ships were sent to the continent, but it’s still highly interesting to take a look at the old sailing ships. Many travelers who come here, as well as the locals, believe that here you can find pirate treasure hidden by corsairs from authorities. People name different points where it might be kept. Still, no treasures of freebooters were found so far.
Some time later, planters came to the island. They grew bananas, coffee beans, batatas, and sugarcane. Mostly these were hired European farm workers who could work just for a little money and African slaves who worked on the plantations. You can come and take a look at some of the haciendas that have survived up to the present days. You can also see how lords and simple workers used to live and how the utility rooms looked like. Unfortunately, most plantations suffered from the attack of Argentines in the 19th century. There were three attempts to conquer the island, but the locals fought off.
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