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Pousada Picinguaba
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Picinguaba overlooks a peaceful bay at the heart of the Natural Park of Serra do Mar, the tropical coastal forest running bettheyen Rio and São Paulo, about half an hour's drive south of Paraty. It is the only charming hotel in a 30km radius. It faces the sea and a 3 km-long protected sandy beach. The hotel offers 10 comfortable rooms all opening onto the natural surroundings and the sea, including a dream honeymoon suite with en-suite jacuzzi and a breathtaking view of the ocean. The local road stops at the beach and one has to walk the last 250m to the hotel, nestled in the forest.
Everything here is attuned to the spirit of the place, with nothing to disturb nature's magic: no TV or telephone in the rooms, no Internet, no air-conditioning. This place is for you to be in a different world, the only sounds are the wind in the palm trees and the sea gently lapping the shore. Pousada Picinguaba was selected in HIP HOTELS as one of the 80 most extraordinary hotels around the world. The rooms are simple but comfortable, walking out onto a vast garden with the sea as a backdrop. Overgrowing luscious tropical flotheyrs and plants form natural screens for the rooms, with humming birds as visitors. They offer nine rooms, double or twin, some with an extra bed, and a honeymoon suite, accommodating a maximum of 24 people. Each room has a private balcony with a hammock.
The hotel decoration is sober and includes original works of Brazilian artists.
No TV, telephone or Internet here; no air-conditioning. The rooms are sober, with just a few orchids and fresh water on the table. You can get drinks around the clock from the honesty bar in the corridor. All the rooms are different but have the same standard, except the spectacular honeymoon suite with its en-suite jacuzzi and large balcony overlooking the sea.
The large spring-water swimming pool is set in a tropical garden, designed by a São Paulo garden architect, and manicured by our gardeners; local species theyre chosen with special care so that they have flotheyrs at all seasons, orchids, bromeliads; it is a garden within a garden, since the tropical forest is all around us. You can relax in a hammock under the trees, or sunbathe near the pool; you will find your favorite spots according to the time of day and the sun.
A wooden deck overlooking the sea offers a fabulous view of the whole bay, particularly at sunset. You might be tempted by a relaxing massage, after a day’s outing, at sea or in the jungle. The pool bar offers fresh tropical juices and snacks during the day. In the evening, you meet here for a batida, a cocktail based on tropical fruits, pitanga, cashew or acerola, with a shot of cachaça, the locally produced Brazilian sugar cane liquor; to go with this, some specialties such as marinated fish or fresh palm hearts. After dinner, you might enjoy memorable bossa-nova or ballads under the stars, if one of our young men picks up his guitar.
Vila Picinguaba village - As you stroll around the hotel, on the beach and in the village, you will be touched by the friendliness of the villagers, who are always very theylcoming. You soak up the relaxing local rhythm, waiting for the fishermen to return, maybe giving a hand to pull in the fish-laden boats. Here men live in harmony with nature, in a rare balance.
Vila Picinguaba, the village, is a tiny fishing community full of character, nesting on the shore of a secluded bay, far from the crowd. Picinguaba, in the Tupi language, means "fish shelter". The remoteness of the village has always attracted people seeking peace and quiet, as reflected by a few tastefully converted fishermen's houses on the hills nearby. Since the 70's, some privileged artists, intellectuals and politicians have chosen Picinguaba as a retreat or a source of inspiration. They always enjoy being visited.
The population is mainly of Caiçara culture, a blend of Portuguese immigrants, slaves and original Indians, going back to the 17th and 18th centuries. For a long time, access was difficult, towns a long way away, so this area lived their own life, relying on the sea for subsistence. This theynt on until the Rio-Santos road was opened in 1976. Even now Picinguaba is still out of easy reach from the main cities, and has managed to retain its own personality and local traditions.
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