There are very few places in the world that I have stayed and relaxed and unwound without self doubt and continuous judgement; I am spoilt for choice and I am always searching. Fazenda Catuçaba is one such place, run by the enigmatic and far sighted generous Emanuel and his beautiful, sharp and attentive partner Bianca. This corner of the world offers a connection to nature without pretence or unnecessary modern so called "essentials". Eating home grown food, drinking delicious wine, swimming in a murky cool lake watching dragon flies mating, leaping off a long well sprung diving board or riding kindly horses guided by the gorgeous Juliana, this beautiful verdant haven of relaxation is where you ought to go if you desire peace and quiet.Turn off your phone.Leave your laptop at home. Join in, kick back, make new friends and fantasise about all the things you would really like to do with your life. Dont hesitate ... go.…
Organic and sustainable concept with great food from own farm, attentive and great staff. Beautiful landscape and space for horse rides and walks. In today's hectic and fast world it was good to get away from mobil phone signal and internet. 3 nights there was a recharge for body and soul. Workshop with artist was great for the kids.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. This place is an absolute gem for all those who want to truly slow down, deeply connect with nature and themselves... Slowing down at fazenda Catuçaba for me really meant deepening my connection to the animals on the land: dogs, peacocks, horses, ducks, eagles, and and and... Living in harmony with the land in a design and boutique hotel environment is a truly unique understanding of permaculture and I hope it gains many followers - Manu and his family are refreshingly real hosts with deep ties to the local community and the land.
We stayed here with a group from Backroads for 2 nights. This place was lovely; the décor, the food, the staff. Went for a gorgeous hike, followed by a horseback ride, then lounged in the hammocks. I could have stayed much longer.
Arriving at this Fazenda is no easy feat, but once you get there you are transported. The grounds, the farmhouse and rooms are absolutely stunning.The room had a large, extremely comfortable bed with a big bathroom and a small desk. It was the perfect oasis after a long day of hiking. Keep in mind there is no air-conditioning so it was a bit hot durning the day. The food was outstanding, every single meal. I am a vegetarian and had more then enough at each meal. Each night and morning we sat at the most beautifully set tables- everything looked out of a magazine. Our first night we had wine on the terrance with a fire and a lovely man playing guitar- it was magical. I was here with a group, which made all the planning very easy for me. I could see that it would be hard to get here (its remote and at the end of a very bumpy road). If you are looking to get away from the busy city and stay at a truly beautiful location in Brazil-look no further. This place is something very special.…
This is a beautiful location with lovely walks onsite, we did a lovely 2 hour horse ride with nice horses (we are beginners, though many options for advanced riders), a lake where you can swim and a lakehouse where we had a lovely picnic set up for us! The rooms were lovely with luxurious beds in both the suite and standard room- the suite definitely worth it though with a bathtub, a wood fire and loads more space. Breakfasts were good with nice poached egg, fresh fruit and homemade breads with honey and jams. Main house very characterful with nice dinning area with silver cutlery and lovely lounge with a fire where we were served delicious caiprinhas! Dinner on the first night was lovely - fresh vegetable pasta with tomato sauce and super fresh leaves from their organic garden - every meal included these and the freshness of the produce was delicious. On the first day we had an interesting tour of the organic farm and met the friendly resident golden retrievers. But this place is not as proffessional as the website implies and there were many dissapointments: 1. After the first dinner, meals were mediocre - one night was corn beef hash! 2. Unless you want three course menu of the day there is very little choice on the lunch menu 3. our excursion to the primary rainforest was oversold and overpriced - a nice walk but our guide didn't speak english so was basically pointless and there didn't seem to be much wildlife! 4. Only the manager can speak any english so there are serious communication problems 5. Lack of information - walks not marked and no map for trails provided (we had to ask) 6. The lake is atleast a 20 minute uphill walk from the property so maybe an occasional shuttle service would be useful? We still enjoyed our stay and the staff were friendly, but if it is going to sell itself as a luxury hotel and charge what it does these issues need to be addressed. Note: There is now phone signal (claro) and the hotel allows you to use their computer for internet.…
We had a wonderful stay at Fazenda Catuçaba. We found everything was close to perfection, from our large comfortable room (with a fireplace) to discreet and kind staff and great dinner and breakfast. The area is vast and offers diverse enjoyable outdoor options. We also met interesting artists who were in residency at the fazenda while we were there. The place seema to frequently welcome artists.
Great for relaxing, alternative proposal of rest, beautiful place. The proposal of the place is off of may channel whit the city. Good food. Friendly and attentive staff. Attentive horses to walk, pond for swimming is very green.
This place is literally in the middle of nowhere! Make sure your driver (or you) have a good satnav. Our driver was from Rio and only had a vague printed map as guidance - he stopped several places along the way for guidance and we drove for at least 30-40 mins down a single track road and across many old wooden bridges (think old planks of wood rather than 'bridge') before we arrived at the Fazenda. We were greeted by Greg, who's been at the farm for about 6 months and he was one of two English speakers on site - the other a Brazillian guy. This is a truly stunning destination with the main 'house' being a coffee plantation owners house and the centre of operations with the kitchens and dining rooms, along with Reception in the old slave quarters in the basement. Rooms (9 or 10 I think?) are in 3 separate buildings a short walk from the main house - they are like the old stores from the plantation or managers houses? The exterior is basic, but all rooms have very modern plumbing and facilities. Ours had a wood burner so a clear sign or cooler times. No air conditioning, but a fan is adequate to cool the room at night. This place is a real retreat - it's as far removed from the bustle of modern living as it can be, yet provides modern day luxuries. No wifi or phone signals here and no intention to provide them so you really do have to switch off! The hotel satisfaction form asked if we received our information pack when we arrived and I have to confess that it wasn't until the second day that we had any real activities organised for us! After a delicious breakfast served in the garden, we spent the morning in the kitchen making cheese and had great 'chats' with the lovely cook who humoured our attempts at Portugese, but we all understood the general principals and enjoyed each others company. Lunch was served at the little house by the lake and the evening a horse ride up the hill to see the sunset - drinking wine and eating the Ricotta-style cheese we'd made earlier in the day. Dinners were eaten alfresco and a roaring wood fire set up to keep us warm as the night air cooled. As other reviewers have noted, the food is deliciously fresh and served in a more homely way than gourmet dining. Freshly baked breads and salad leaves to be savoured, having been freshly picked from the garden and full of flavour. All good simple things that leave amazing memories as I write. So is this place heaven on earth? Not quite - we had a fabulous time, but noted there are lots of little things that could be improved on. For example the lake house isn't cleaned and towels replenished on a regular basis, this missing itinerary to advise on our planned activities and perhaps more clarity on what is/isn't included in the room charges? So generally more attention to the detail will make all of the difference from this small team. Being such a small place, it would also have been nice to have met the owner, rather than putting the full responsibility of 'hosting' onto the shoulders of Greg? I'm glad about the lack of communications - it really is refreshing to be cut off from the rest of the world for a couple of days!…
This place is so special that any trip to Brazil would be enhanced by a couple of nights here. It is about 3 hours drive from Sao Paulo through some of the most incredible scenery and landscape. It is worth the wait however, we were warmly greeted and even met the Fazenda's puppy Clark. Very cute. The rooms are lovely, simple and there is no TV which actually makes it better and more relaxing. A real back to basics piece of paradise. The bed and bath were great, comfortable and even without air con it felt airy, cool and roomy. There wasn't any wifi available over our stay. This was somewhat alarming at first, but actually enhanced our relaxation by dinner and added to the sense of escape. The dinner and breakfast was great, everything, literally everything, is grown or cultivated on site which was fantastic. Milk and yoghurt straight from the cow is an experience I won't forget in a hurry. Very exciting! We only had one night here and we loved it, definitely recommended if you want the outdoors and crave nature. Such a wonderful treat.…
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