The Best Ecoresorts in Brazil

With some of the best surf beaches in northeast Brazil and a string of bays and coves backed by steamy rainforest, the Chocolate Coast in Bahia has long been a popular destination with wealthy surfers from São Paulo. Txai is the most luxurious resort in the region – with large, thatched bungalows with four-poster beds and wooden sundecks set in a palm grove on a secluded beach. The spa is one of the best in Brazil and the hotel supports local environmental education programs.

Ecotourism gets chic at Estrela D’Agua, on the edge of ultra-fashionable Trancoso village (where celebrities such as Beyoncé and Gisele Bundchen come for down time). Rows of luxurious fishermen’s shacks in a long garden lead to a sapphire swimming pool backed by a large glass-fronted bar and sundeck set under swaying palms and set over a seemingly endless golden beach. Electricity and water is solar powered, water and waste recycled and the hotel supports local welfare programs.

North of Fortaleza city in the northeastern Ceará state, long broad beaches are backed by wind-swept dunes. At the village of Taíba they stretch many kilometers inland – forming a mini desert. Carmel Taíba sits between the dunes and a long curve of beach – neo-Frank Lloyd Wright glass-fronted villas faced with raw stone watch over the sea from a palm-tree garden, infinity pool merging with the horizon.

The interior of the southern Santa Catarina state is wrinkled with rainforest-covered ridges that plunge towards the beach-fringed coastal plain in a series of deep valleys and canyons. The Rio do Rastro Eco Resort sits at their heart – in rolling hills, next to a lake a few minutes’ drive from a series of spectacular mountain-view points. Rooms are farmhouse comfortable in faux-European cottages with roaring fires and are popular in the winter when temperatures plunge to around 53F (12C) – almost Arctic for Brazilians.

Overlooking the Juqueri river on the edge of the Serra da Cantareira mountains less than an hour’s drive from metropolitan São Paulo, Cheiro de Mato is a family-orientated weekend escape from urbanity. Rooms are set in a shady tropical garden, painted in muted tones and with hammocks on the balconies. There’s a large pool and lots of activities – including assault courses for kids, rope bridge walks in the trees, hiking, paddleboarding and waterskiing on the lake.

Set on a long, empty tropical white-sand beach in the northeastern state of Alagoas, Kenoa comprises a series of striking modernist stone- and wood-faced concrete buildings which blend in with the natural surrounds. Interiors are tennis-court vast and luxurious – polished concrete floors with rattan and palm rugs on the floors, high palm-thatched ceilings and comfortable sofas. Floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the ocean flood the rooms with light.

Flanked by dense forest on one side and pristine shores on the other, Itamambuca Eco Resort is surrounded by natural habitats rich in wildlife. The coast is clean and tropical, home to dolphins, turtles and rare fish species. You can get deep into nature by pitching a tent on the camp grounds, or get comfortable in one of the apartments or bungalows. Whichever you choose, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the wild, with river kayaking tours, guided hikes and surf lessons available.

Set in the heart of the Atlantic Forest, Paraíso Eco Lodge enjoys a stunning position best enjoyed from the many hikes and trails that surround it. The lodge was built to be as sustainable and ecofriendly as possible, constructed from leftover industrial and indigenous materials. Even better? It sits in a nature sanctuary with waterfalls, luscious vegetation and remarkable wildlife.

Kilombo embraces a prime spot next to a secluded beach with daily offerings of fresh seafood, water sports (kayaking, surfing and sailing,) and outstanding marine-life watching. You’ll also find sea turtle breeding grounds here. While they’re fiercely protected, if you’re lucky you might see one of these endangered animals for yourself. There are also plenty of dolphins swimming the coastline.