Ilha da Cotinga is a geographical landform in the Brazilian bay of Paranaguá near the city of Paranaguá in the state of Paraná. It is only accessible by boat. It is considered the first territory of Paraná to have been inhabited by European settlers. Settlers wanted to reach the mainland but began by settling the island due to fear of the Indigenous Guaranàpeoples who dominated the region.
The island is a tourist attraction, where remnants and ruins of the early days of the settlement of Paraná can be found. The local indigenous population, the Mbyá GuaranÃÂ, still live on the island.
In 1677 the Igreja da Nossa Senhora das Mercês (Church of our Lady of Mercies) was constructed. It was destroyed in 1699 when the Church of Saint Benedito was constructed on the mainland.
On 9 March 1718, the pirate ship La Louise, captained by the French Pirate Olivier Levasseur sank in a storm off Cotinga Island.
In 1955 requests were made to rebuild old hermitage on the site and on May 17, 1955, a maritime procession was held to bring the ancient image of Our Lady of Mercies, which had been sculpted in rock from Portugal, to the site. In 1994, the hermitage was finally reconstructed. It was inaugurated on April 25. Access to the hermitage is via a rustic stone stairway with approximately 365 steps. It has a beautiful view of the city and the sea.