Lopes Mendes is the beach that turns up on the postcards: a three-kilometre arc of pale, almost white sand on the east coast of the island, backed by Atlantic Forest and broken only by a few rocky outcrops at the ends. The Atlantic rolls in cleanly here, with waves big enough for casual surfing on most days; the water is warm and clear.
Getting there is part of the experience. You can walk all the way from Abraão (about 3 hours each way through the forest) or take a boat to Praia das Palmas and walk fifteen minutes across a wooded ridge. There are no facilities at all — no shade structures, no toilets, no restaurants — though a handful of vendors sometimes sell drinks from the trees at the back. Bring water and sun protection. The boats stop running in the late afternoon, so keep an eye on the time.