The cold wind and freezing waters of the São Paulo shores did not affect the mood of the athletes. Early morning August 25, 2007 and triathletes from all over the world gather at the sands of Ilhabela for the start of the 2007 edition of the Nissan XTerra Triathlon competition.

To most of us, São Paulo means big business, big city, fast living, 13 million people population and …well, business again. But at just a couple of hours drive(212 Kilometers) from the metropolitan lifestyle of São Paulo capital you’ll find the Ilhabela region. The name of this region is a portmanteau made up of 2 words meaning “ilha”(island) and “bela”(beautiful). The several islands which make up the Ilhabela archipelago configure the ideal location for radical sports : mountains, clear water, lots of green and a peaceful location disturbed only once a year by the intense sports action of the yearly Nissan XTerra Triathlon meet.

This year the Traveler.com.br-sponsored triathlete, Alexandre Manzan, arrived 2nd place just 1 minute behind Canadian Mike Vine. The event is a modern radical style triathlon which requires extreme physical preparation and long experience in triathlon competition. The constantly changing scenario, highs and lows, sometimes strong winds and freezing water(as was the case this year) make a tough challenge for the hundreds of triathletes who enter the event.

For those of us not competing but looking forward to being in touch with nature, Ilhabela is an ideal spot for adventure travel. Camping fields, hotels and inexpensive hostels can be booked through Traveler.com.br or specialized Ilhabela sites such as Ilhabela.com.br.

The transfer can be made easily, from São Paulo(via Litorânea bus line / Phone ++5512-3892-1072) or Rio de Janeiro(via Util bus line phone ++5521-2263-9424) you can catch a bus to São Sebastião and from there a water transport will take you to the Ilhabela island. A new transport departs every 30 minutes from 6 AM to 11 PM daily.

See Ilhabela on the interactive Google maps by clicking here.

Below you’ll find some photos of pro Traveler.com.br athlete Alexandre Manzan during the Ilhabela Nissan XTerra competition on August 25 2007.