Internetless: the best way to travel and live

An old new world opens up, the only world that existed until 15 years ago when the internet didn't follow us everywhere and we didn't feel the need to be hyper-connected

Ilha do Cardoso, July 2024.

I spent a week on vacation wholly disconnected from social media. I didn't even know that was possible. The blessed place is Ilha do Cardoso, at the southernmost tip of the coast of São Paulo state, and it is only accessible by boat or motorboat.

When I chose Ilha do Cardoso, a preserved state park, I heard en passant that "the internet doesn't work well there". I didn't understand the profundity of that statement. It's hard to imagine a place without at least a minimal Wi-Fi or 4G signal, even if it's unreliable.

I would be lying if I said there was no signal at all. There was a 4G signal on top of this log:

The signal there was not just unreliable; it was practically non-existent, a true miracle of technology, a Halley's Comet of Silicon Valley illuminating the internet satellites for a few seconds, only to disappear shortly after.

On the first day, still contaminated by technological civilization, I tried to get a bit of signal to let my parents know that I wouldn't have internet for the next few days and to respond to a friend or two. I gave up.

The next day, I understood better where exactly the internet worked on the beach. Even so, getting a trickle of internet was an act of persistence, just enough to send a text message or two on WhatsApp, which took minutes and sometimes hours. Don't even dream of trying to open a video or a photo.

It's common for the few residents of that beach to leave their phones all day on top of the log (or in another shack that apparently has a meteoric signal, but it never worked for me), and read the messages at the end of the day.

I advocate for the conscious use of social networks and smartphones and consider myself successful in using them healthily. Despite that, it's a shock when you find yourself in a place entirely without the internet.

An old new world opens up, the only world that existed until 15 years ago when the internet didn't follow you everywhere and we didn't feel the need to be hyper-connected.

I lived like the ancients. With the phone useless, my girlfriend and I agreed not to look at the time for anything. We would wake up whenever we were hungry, have breakfast listening to the birds, walk to a neighboring beach, eat lunch when hungry, read until tired, have tea after sunset, cook dinner when hungry, read a bit more, drink or play cards until sleepy. We also took a few photos, which reduced the chance of accidentally looking at the clock.

Rarely have I felt so satisfied in life. All the basic needs of a human being were fulfilled. I honestly forgot the outside world existed —I only found out about Biden's withdrawal three days later. The only exception was checking if my parents were okay, which I did briefly every two days —definitely not via Meet.

Let's face it: I didn't miss the world, nor did the world miss me. Unfortunately, it's impossible to do this for an extended period. I could only pay for the inn, the boat ride, and the food I brought with the money I earn from my work, which cannot be done without the internet. And I have no plans to become a hermit anytime soon.

Despite the island accommodating few tourists, there's a queue of dozens of people searching for the lost internet signal during the high season, according to the inn owner. Not everyone there is looking to check on parents or children. They are the selfie zombies of the latest edition, who can't disconnect even when there is no connection.

The lack of internet has also brought a marital issue to Ilha do Cardoso. The inn owner, an old-time fisherman, is quite addicted to social networks and plans to get an internet signal there. His wife is against it, fearing it will detract from the island's best attraction.

The day I got back internet signal and made the mistake of opening social media, instead of feeling relieved, I felt utterly irritated. To Heraclitus's disappointment, the Instagram river is always the same.

Do you have stories of trips completely disconnected from the internet? I would love it if you share them with the readers of No Direction Home.

The happiness of someone who has been off the internet for days.