Some places you stay for the bed. Some for the party. Then there’s Green Haven Ilha Anchieta in Brazil – a hostel that changes how you see travel itself.
This spot isn’t just by nature – it’s in it.
This hostel sits inside Ilha Anchieta State Park, a fully protected island off the coast of Ubatuba. Imagine jungle trails, wild monkeys swinging overhead, turquoise water, and the eerie ruins of an old prison.
It’s the only hostel inside a fully protected state park in Brazil
and the only place to stay the night on the whole island!
Green Haven Hostel is 100% self-sustaining and runs off-grid. What does this mean? It runs on solar power, collects its own water, treats all its waste and still feels like one big beach house you don’t want to leave.
You might already know Green Haven Hostel on mainland Ubatuba: a proper HOSCAR award magnet winning Best Hostel in Brazil twice, Best Hostel in Latin America once, and even the Community Champion award in 2023
But for managing partner Vinícius Fiore, the party wasn’t enough anymore. “Parties are amazing for connecting people, but I wanted something bigger. I wanted to see people and nature transformed,” he says.
When the chance came up to operate in the Ilha Anchieta State Park, he went for it. In 2023, Green Haven Ilha Anchieta opened its doors, and the whole concept shifted: celebrating life with real purpose and leaving a positive mark in the world.
The dorms and privates are spread between the old prison’s hospital and a beach house literally three meters from the sand. Sounds wild, right? It’s better than you could ever imagine.
Here’s what life looks like on the island:
Waking up early to the sound of waves and birds
Hiking through rainforest trails or visiting the eerie, overgrown prison ruins
Swimming alongside sea turtles or joining a canoe trip
Dinner made from local ingredients, eaten under the stars
Ending the night with music, chats, and that “we’re all in this together” vibe hostels are famous for
The real magic isn’t just the gorgeous island – it’s what happens to you while you’re there.
Vinicius tells us some guests arrive burnt out and leave lighter. Some find the courage to rethink their lifestyles. One volunteer planned to stay a month and ended up staying a year. He left his engineering job and is now working in environmental education.
This isn’t one of those places that talks about being green. They’re actually doing it.
150 solar panels keep the hostel and surrounding buildings running
They collect their own fresh water and treat all wastewater on-site
They’ve built a full waste management centre to sort and ship rubbish back to the mainland
70% of the staff are local and the restaurant buys 70% of its food from nearby producers
Guests are invited to join beach clean-ups, workshops, or just learn by seeing how it all works
“Nature is constantly teaching,” Vinícius says. “Here, people learn without even realising it.”
Ilha Anchieta has always been a place of big stories, from its time as a notorious prison until 1955 to its rebirth as a conservation unit in 1977. Now, Green Haven Hostel is writing a new chapter: showing that hostels can be much more than cheap accommodation. They’re proof that hostels can protect nature, support communities, and give travellers an experience that sticks long after checkout.
The post Sustainability Stories: Green Haven Ilha Anchieta – protecting a paradise appeared first on Hostelworld Travel Blog.
This spot isn’t just by nature – it’s in it.
This hostel sits inside Ilha Anchieta State Park, a fully protected island off the coast of Ubatuba. Imagine jungle trails, wild monkeys swinging overhead, turquoise water, and the eerie ruins of an old prison.
It’s the only hostel inside a fully protected state park in Brazil
Green Haven Hostel is 100% self-sustaining and runs off-grid. What does this mean? It runs on solar power, collects its own water, treats all its waste and still feels like one big beach house you don’t want to leave.
From party vibes to purpose
You might already know Green Haven Hostel on mainland Ubatuba: a proper HOSCAR award magnet winning Best Hostel in Brazil twice, Best Hostel in Latin America once, and even the Community Champion award in 2023
But for managing partner Vinícius Fiore, the party wasn’t enough anymore. “Parties are amazing for connecting people, but I wanted something bigger. I wanted to see people and nature transformed,” he says.
When the chance came up to operate in the Ilha Anchieta State Park, he went for it. In 2023, Green Haven Ilha Anchieta opened its doors, and the whole concept shifted: celebrating life with real purpose and leaving a positive mark in the world.
The dorms and privates are spread between the old prison’s hospital and a beach house literally three meters from the sand. Sounds wild, right? It’s better than you could ever imagine.
A day on the island
Here’s what life looks like on the island:
The real magic isn’t just the gorgeous island – it’s what happens to you while you’re there.
Vinicius tells us some guests arrive burnt out and leave lighter. Some find the courage to rethink their lifestyles. One volunteer planned to stay a month and ended up staying a year. He left his engineering job and is now working in environmental education.
Green Haven Hostel is 100% self-sustaining
This isn’t one of those places that talks about being green. They’re actually doing it.
“Nature is constantly teaching,” Vinícius says. “Here, people learn without even realising it.”
A new chapter for Ilha Anchieta
Ilha Anchieta has always been a place of big stories, from its time as a notorious prison until 1955 to its rebirth as a conservation unit in 1977. Now, Green Haven Hostel is writing a new chapter: showing that hostels can be much more than cheap accommodation. They’re proof that hostels can protect nature, support communities, and give travellers an experience that sticks long after checkout.
The post Sustainability Stories: Green Haven Ilha Anchieta – protecting a paradise appeared first on Hostelworld Travel Blog.