Islands of Brazil: map, oceanic and coastal islands

Published on January 2, 2013 · Updated on November 1, 2026

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The islands of Brazil fall into two large groups: the oceanic ones, far from the coast in the open Atlantic, and the coastal or continental ones, close to the shoreline. There are also large river islands in the middle of rivers. In fact, the largest island in Brazil is Ilha de Marajó, in Pará, covering about 40,100 km².

Quick summary – islands of Brazil

Oceanic islands: Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, São Pedro e São Paulo, and Trindade e Martim Vaz.
Largest island in Brazil: Marajó (PA), covering about 40,100 km², the largest fluvial-marine island in the world.
Largest river island: Bananal (TO), covering about 20,000 km², between the Araguaia and Javaés rivers.
Famous coastal islands: Santa Catarina (SC), São Luís (MA), Ilhabela (SP), Ilha do Mel (PR), Itamaracá (PE) and Itaparica (BA).
Only oceanic island with a permanent population: Fernando de Noronha.

Map of the islands of Brazil

The difference between an oceanic island and a coastal island lies, above all, in its distance from the mainland. Thus, if the island is close to the shore, it is coastal, also called continental. On the other hand, if it lies isolated in the middle of the ocean, it is oceanic. Finally, the map below shows the main islands of Brazil.

Map of the oceanic and coastal islands of Brazil — Map of the islands of Brazil

Oceanic islands of Brazil

First of all, Brazil has four groups of oceanic islands, all of volcanic or reef origin and hundreds of kilometers from the coast. Of these, however, only Fernando de Noronha has permanent residents and tourist infrastructure.

Fernando de Noronha Archipelago

About 360 km off the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, for example, the archipelago is made up of several volcanic islands. In 1988, it once again became part of Pernambuco, as a state district. It is, therefore, the only Brazilian oceanic archipelago with a permanent population. In addition, it has a tropical climate, mountainous terrain and some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

Tubarões no Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha

Atol das Rocas

About 266 km from Natal, between the mainland and Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas is the only atoll in the Western South Atlantic. Surrounded by reefs and corals, it is also home to many species of birds, fish and turtles. Since 1979, in fact, it has been a biological reserve, the country’s first marine conservation unit. For this reason, access is restricted to researchers with authorization from ICMBio.

Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo

About 1,000 km from Natal, the Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo is a group of small rocky islets that rise no more than 18 meters above the sea. In general, there is no vegetation, except for mosses and grasses on the largest islet. Thus, the rocks serve mainly as a resting place for seabirds. Since 1998, the Navy has maintained a scientific station there, with researchers working in rotation.

Trindade e Martim Vaz Islands

Of volcanic origin, the Trindade e Martim Vaz islands lie about 1,200 km from Vitória, in Espírito Santo. They have no permanent residents; however, the Brazilian Navy maintains a post on Ilha da Trindade.

Coastal islands of Brazil

Coastal, or continental, islands, on the other hand, are like an extension of the mainland. In general, they form when the sea floods part of the land and cuts off some stretches. Some, in turn, are fluvial-marine: they have the sea on one side and a river on the other, like Marajó.

Ilha de Marajó (PA), the largest island in Brazil

Covering about 40,100 km², Marajó is the largest island in Brazil and the largest fluvial-marine island in the world. First, it is bordered by the Amazonas River to the west and northwest, by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and northeast and by the baía do Marajó to the east. To the south, in addition, lie the channels of the Pará and Tocantins rivers.

Ilha de Santa Catarina (SC)

Covering about 424 km², it is the largest island of an archipelago with more than 30 islands, most of them in Florianópolis. In addition, three bridges, Hercílio Luz, Colombo Salles and Pedro Ivo Campos, connect the island to the mainland. They cross a channel of about 500 meters that separates the North and South bays. See also the guide to Ilha de Santa Catarina.

Ilha de São Luís (MA)

On the island of Upaon-Açu lies São Luís, the capital of Maranhão. The island, in fact, is divided among four municipalities: São Luís, São José de Ribamar, Paço do Lumiar and Raposa.

Ilhabela (SP)

On the north coast of São Paulo, Ilhabela is one of the few marine archipelago municipalities in Brazil. Its largest island, then, is Ilha de São Sebastião.

Ilha do Mel (PR)

Ilha do Mel lies at the entrance to the baía de Paranaguá, in Paraná. Since it has no cars, it is famous for its beaches, trails and lighthouse.

Ilha de Itamaracá (PE)

In the Recife metropolitan area, Itamaracá is a municipality that covers the entire island of the same name. The canal de Santa Cruz, in turn, separates the island from the mainland; according to some scholars, it gave rise to the name Pernambuco.

Ilha de Itaparica (BA)

In the Baía de Todos os Santos, Ilha de Itaparica is the largest island in the bay. In short, it covers about 246 km² and is more than 36 km long, divided between the municipalities of Itaparica and Vera Cruz.

Ilha Grande (RJ)

On the south coast of Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande belongs to Angra dos Reis. Also car-free, it has beaches, trails and plenty of Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest).

River islands: Ilha do Bananal

Besides the islands in the sea, Brazil has large river islands. The largest of them is Ilha do Bananal, in Tocantins, covering about 20,000 km² and surrounded by the Araguaia and Javaés rivers. For this reason, it is considered the largest river island in the world.

Frequently asked questions about the islands of Brazil

What is the largest island in Brazil?

It is Ilha de Marajó, in Pará, covering about 40,100 km².

In addition, it is the largest fluvial-marine island in the world.

Which are the oceanic islands of Brazil?

Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, São Pedro e São Paulo, and Trindade e Martim Vaz.

All of them lie hundreds of kilometers from the coast.

What is the difference between an oceanic island and a coastal island?

An oceanic island lies isolated in the ocean, far from the mainland; a coastal island, by contrast, lies close to the shore.

That is why a coastal island is also called continental.

What is the largest river island in Brazil?

It is Ilha do Bananal, in Tocantins, covering about 20,000 km².

Thus, it is also the largest river island in the world.

Can you visit the oceanic islands of Brazil?

Only Fernando de Noronha receives tourists. Access to the others is restricted to researchers and the Navy.

However, Noronha charges visitors preservation fees.

Written by Willy Sievert

Editor of Bahia.ws since its founding in 2009. Based in Salvador, he travels frequently across the Northeast and all of Brazil to keep the guides up to date. Learn more about Willy Sievert →