at a glance

most buses to ilha do governador leave from or near the bus terminal menezes cortes (bus terminal menezes cortes) in the center of town - on rio's bus signs, this bus terminal is referred to as 'castelo' the name is due to the former presence in that area of a hill home to a fort called 'morro do castelo' (hill of the castle).

from leblon, ipanema, and copacabana, bus line 2015 reaches the bus terminal menezes cortes, alternatively, from both ipanema and copacabana the bus terminal menezes cortes can be reached by taking the subway to carioca - the carioca subway station is only a few minutes walk from the bus terminal.

once at castelo, bus line 324 reaches praia da ribeira in about 40 minutes, but for safety and convenience reasons, we recommend going to ilha do governador's beaches via taxi, and/or only accompanied by a professional guide or someone familiar with the area - a taxi ride costs about br$ 70 each way from rio's zona sul (south zone).