ilha grande is notable for having been used by pirates, smugglers, and slave traffickers during the 16th and 17th centuries.

the island's function shifted with the discoveries of valuable metals in peru, especially gold and silver, towards the end of the 16th century.

this meant that the island was increasingly used by european supply ships, who used ilha grande as strategic stop, to drop off supplies such as food and drinking water. the island of san sebastian and santa catarina were also utilized for this purpose.