the 'ilha do engenho', or 'engenho's island' is part of an archipelago which also accounts for the islands of carvalho, mexingueira, das ananases, and das flores.

it is the large landmass more to the north, when compared with the other islands, just westward of the neighboring tavares island.

similarly to the rest of the archipelago, engenho has historically been covered by lush green woodland, a trait also shared with the guanabara bay region in general.