If it wasn’t for the caipirinha in your hand and tropical leaves swaying in the mountain breeze, the views from Fazenda Santa Vitória could be mistaken for a dramatic Swiss landscape. The Mantiqueira Mountains frame this Brazilian 19th-century farmhouse, which has seen its pastures produce coffee and sugar cane in years gone by. Today, 300 dairy cattle gently graze the land, which is permeated with nature trails, protected by a stream and has its own waterfall for wild dips.
The Paraíba Valley, meandering near the state border between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, is the setting for Fábia's fabulous farm. She and her team welcome couples, friends and families on a full-board basis to their farmhouse and kitchen like old friends. We absolutely cannot wait to pay a visit and become part of the family. Step inside and feel echoes of Brazil’s colonial past through the furniture and artefacts adorning the 13 rooms and mountain houses. If you can tear yourself away from the rolling hills and charcoal mountains (the views are enough to stop you mid-conversation) there are pure linen bed sheets to spread out on, a welcoming organic restaurant, a pool to cool off in, and a wood-fired sauna and caldarium waiting to melt away the last of the modern world’s tensions.
Highs
- If you’re looking for peace and tranquillity, you’ve found it here. Streams, waterfalls and mountains – the ideal setting to meditate on life
- Or if you're feeling more active, there's tennis, horse riding, bocce, wild swimming and more
- Mariza’s organic farmhouse cooking has been winning guests over, and we can’t wait to try it
- Discreetly perceptive host Fábia will ensure every serene moment blends flawlessly. Feel slightly chilly? She’ll bring blankets and light the fire before you’ve even asked
- Despite feeling a million miles from anywhere, the farmhouse is actually quite close to the main BR-116 road linking Rio and São Paulo
Lows
- Fazenda Santa Vitória is closed Monday-Wednesday, with some exceptions in January and July
- No TV in the rooms and guests have noted patchy WiFi, but this is a chance to digitally disconnect for a while
- Be aware that it's 2.5-3 hours' drive from São Paulo or Rio airports, but transfers can easily be arranged if you don't fancy the drive
- The Mountain Houses are 800m down a road, so you'll need to make the small trek back to the main house for all your meals
Best time to go
There’s no better time to embrace the brilliance of Brazilian culture than around Carnaval (Feb-Mar for 1 week; dates change) but prices generally soar across the country. No doubt you’ll need a breather from back-to-back block parties and parades, so decompress in the Paraíba valley – 2.5-3 hours’ drive from both major carnival cities São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Or if you prefer to explore the mountains in cooler, calmer months, then July to September is your best bet.
Our top tips
Look a little closer as the gardens darken at sundown and you might see the shy twinkling of fireflies. Don’t worry if you wake in the night and need something either – there are always members of staff keeping watch over the farmhouse.