Fazenda Espelho da Maravilha

A Breezy Cluster of Cabanas on Brazil's Best Beach

This beachfront complex with four individual cottages is located in Praia do Espelho, under an hour from Trancoso, and looks out over palm-filled lawns that stretch out to the water's edge. The site of a coconut farm, between the Atlantic Forest and miles of almost deserted beach, it's a castaway fantasy but with plenty of amenities. Here, you'll find air conditioning, wifi, and even a yoga sanctuary on a cliff overlooking the sea.

We love the breezy, open-plan atmosphere of the bungalows with their high ceilings and generously sized terraces, filled with lounge chairs and hanging baskets, hammocks and swings. While the compound has a laid-back, beachy feel, interiors are rich and sumptuous, with dark woods, crisp linens and colorful accents.

This coconut-producing farm has five bungalows, four of which are available for guests. They can be rented individually or combined for groups of up to 22 people, making it a great location for families and friends to gather in seclusion from the rest of the world. All the dwellings have access to the farm's amenities, including the yoga space, a clifftop, seaview room that's ideal for practicing yoga, meditation and other exercises.

Choose from Casa Sede, a three-bedroom, farmhouse style bungalow with large windows overlooking the sea; Casa da Mata, a three-bedroom house surrounded in lush forest; Casa do Meio, a two-suite unit between the coconut trees and the beach; and Casa da Praia, a cozy casita for two on the sand, with the sounds of the sea for company. 

AROUND

This vacation home rental in Brazil overlooks Praia do Espelho and is a 10-minute walk from Curuípe Beach. Fodors describes Praia do Espelho as Brazil's best beach: "White cliffs frame a palm-fringed beach made of perfectly golden sand. You can walk for miles in either direction and find yourself utterly alone in flawless remote paradise—there’s no development, houses, or people in sight. Just the occasional coconut."

By car, this vacation home rental in Brazil is about 50 minutes from the stylish beach town of Trancoso. A former hippy destination, the town is attracting a more jet-set crowd of late but remains laid-back. From the UNESCO designated Quadrado to the cobblestoned streets and candy-colored houses, this bluffside town hums along at a dreamy pace.

LOCATION

Praia do Espelho, Bahia, Brazil. Nearest airport: Porto Seguro (90 minutes by car).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year-round. Rainy season is during the summer, but showers usually pass quickly.