Transfer bus service
As all of you know, on Sunday, Aug 31st the organization will provide a transfer bus service from the HB Ninety hotel (Alameda Lorena, 521 – Jardim Paulista, São Paulo) and GRU airport (TERMINAL 3) to Ilhabela.
The bus will be parked in the main entrance of the HB Ninety hotel. The bus will leave at 11:00 am from the hotel and, it will arrive at the Terminal 3 of the Guarulhos Airport around 11:30 am. In the airport, the bus will make a quick stop at the Terminal 3, nearby the “Guarucoop taxi stop” (located in the exit of the arrival area). The passengers should be waiting for the bus at this meeting point around 11:20 am.
Click here to check the Passenger List
How to get to Ilhabela
We will provide a bus that will leave São Paulo airport (Garulhos) to Ilhabela on Sunday August 30, the day before the workshop begins, and another going to the airport on the Saturday, September 5, after the end of the conference. The expenses of this shuttle service will be fully covered by the workshop.
In due time we will ask you to send us the arrival and departure dates of your flights. Most of the overseas flights arrive at Garulhos airport in the early morning hours and before noon. Therefore, our intention is to have a bus to Ilhabela that will leave from the airport around 12:00 am (local time). Once we have all the travel plans we may adjust this schedule, in order to minimize the waiting time for everybody.
The workshop ends on Friday in the afternoon. The plan is to have a bus that will leave the hotel on Saturday morning, right after breakfast, and will arrive at the airport in the afternoon. This schedule is comfortable enough so that all participants could arrive at the airport well in advance for taking their respective flights, since most international long-distance flights leave São Paulo early in the evening or late at night.
We remind those who might prefer to get from the airport to Ilhabela on their own that there are only 8 buses per day connecting the airport with the pier of São Sebastião, where the ferries to Ilhabela leave from. The bus timetable can be download here. Ferry boats depart every 30 min, between 06:00-00:00, and every 1 hour between 00:00-06:00. The duration of the crossing is 15 min.
Of course, if you wish to stay longer (before or after the workshop) in the city of São Paulo, we can recommend you some well-situated hotels, just let us know, but we will not be able to subsidize your lodging expenses in São Paulo city.
Visa Requirements
A important remark about the visa requirements. The Brazilian government has good commercial and political relations with almost all countries in the world, and the visa policy is based on reciprocity. Citizens from Mercosur and most countries of the European Union are exempted from visas for a period not exceeding ninety days. However US citizens do need a visa. Typically, depending on the particular Brazilian Embassy/Consulate, a visa may take anywhere between 2 to 30 days to be issued. We also remind you that all passports must be valid for at least 6 months.
A short list containing the countries whose citizens do not need a Visa to visit Brazil as tourists can be found here, as well as the the official list (more complete) with the general visa requirements . In the links below you can find your nearest Brazilian consulate:
http://www.portalconsular.mre.gov.br/
In case you need a official invitation, please let us know.
IlhaBela and amenities
IlhaBela is the largest island along Brazil’s coast, situated only 3 km o the coast of São Paulo state in Brazil and slightly south of the Tropic of Capricorn, which passes through the nearby town of Ubatuba. Ilhabela earns its name from its volcanic peaks, beautiful beaches, dense tropical Atlantic forests, and some 360 waterfalls. Almost 85% of the island has been turned into a park and Unesco-protected biosphere, which shelters a remarkable profusion of plant and animal life, including toucans and capuchin monkeys.
In addition, Ilhabela is a popular sailing point. Several regattas take place on the city’s coast. The island is popular for many other watersports, including scuba and free diving.
The workshop will take place at Itapemar hotel located within walking distance of the historic center of the island, known as Vila. There one can find many small shops and several interesting and charming choices of restaurants and bars.