Angra dos Reis is above all a place of water and islands. The bay holds around 365 islands — one for each day of the year, according to local lore — and the coastline is crinkled with beaches accessible only by boat. The best of the landscape is out on the water or on Ilha Grande, the car-free island that is the centrepiece of the whole bay.
In town, the colonial centre has a handful of churches that merit a brief visit before you head for the waterfront.