Although the closest part of the mainland to the island is the city of Pontal do Paraná, Ilha do Mel belongs to the municipality of Paranaguá, 24 kilometers away.

[1] The island is a permanent environmental conservation area, and 95% of the territory is reserved for local flora and fauna.

Two sambaquis were discovered: deposits of organic material or limestone (such as pieces of shells) accumulated by human activity.

Before Portuguese colonization, the region of Ilha do Mel was populated by an indigenous group known as carijós, from the Tupi-Guaran family.

The inhabitants who settled there exploited the natural resources, fished, and cultivated plants such as banana and aipim, a local tuber species.

[4] Ilha do Mel is located in the middle of the Atlantic Forest, the ecosystem originally characteristic of the Brazilian coast.

Before the arrival of Portuguese colonizers, the Atlantic Forest covered 1,315,460 km², 15% of Brazil's total area.

[5] Of the 2,710 hectares of total area on the island, 2,241 are protected by the Ilha do Mel Ecological Station, created by the Parana State Government in 1982.

The isthmus has been the subject of geological study for many years, mainly because of the fear that the erosion process will split Ilha do Mel into two different islands.

Since there is a limit of 5,000 people per day, there is a possibility for tourists not to be allowed on the ferry to Ilha do Mel.

In fact, according to the Brazilian Professional Surfing Association, the beaches of Ilha do Mel are the best in the state of Paraná to practice the sport.

These locales are the main attractions of the island: Located near the pier in Nova Brasília, the Farol das Conchas [pt] (English: Lighthouse of shells) was built in 1872 by order of Dom Pedro I, then Emperor of Brazil.

The building material was brought from Scotland, a land at the time strongly associated with lighthouse construction.

For that matter, it is a tourist attraction because it is located above a mountain from where much of the island, the sea, the beaches, and even the isthmus can be seen.

[15] The only building of historical significance in the largest part of the island, the Fortress of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres was built in the 18th century.

Another section was activated above Morro da Baleia [pt] (English: Whale Hill), just in front of the Fortress, with cannons and mazes to hide them.

The girl's father, however, found out about them and cast a curse on them: all of the couple's daughters would become killers mermaids.

According to legend, the mermaids chose the very cave of Encantadas as the place to attract men with their songs and then kill them.

One of the most credible hypotheses concerns a German Admiral named Mehl and his family who, before World War I, had engaged in beekeeping on the island.

[9] There is another island called Ilha do Mel somewhat to the south, in the Baía of Babitonga [pt], in the State of Santa Catarina.

[19] Since all types of motor vehicles are prohibited from entering the island, there are no proper streets there, only small footpaths.

In the area of health, the only facility available is an emergency room near the Nova Brasília pier, therefore, tourists are requested to bring their medicines.

[23] Winter, on the other hand, represents the dry period: July is the month with the least rain of the year: only 67 mm.

The coldest month is September, at the end of winter, instead of July or June, when the lowest temperatures in Brazil are recorded.