Ananda Atins

Breezy, Beachy and Windswept

Operable doors lined with shutters and a peaked, thatched roof give this home its distinctive Caribbean island ambiance, yet this breezy, architect-designed villa is tucked artfully into a sandy, palm-fringed lot in Atins, Brazil, a remote kitesurfers’ paradise on the southern Atlantic. Created as two spacious cabanas joined by a wide, slightly elevated deck over the area’s prolific sands, it is pure tropical hideaway—easygoing and welcoming, an airy, casually luxurious space to kick back in style.

Two, pitched roof, rectilinear structures topped with neatly braided thatch create this vacation home for rent in Brazil with delightful castaway vibes. Designed by a French architect and his wife, the pair of rectilinear spaces is joined by a wide central deck that skims the sand and features planters of lush vegetation, an outdoor dining area, and ample daybeds, loungers and hammocks for lazing in the area’s legendary tropical breezes.

One cabana holds the home’s social areas, a neat, open-plan kitchen, dining, and living room fully open to the outdoors, only interrupted by the built-in sideboards between the louvered doors lining the room. The décor is casual yet composed, with accents of straw, sea grass and thatch offsetting white ceiling beams and the shuttered doors. The second cabana holds two master bedroom suites at each end, and a large central bedroom with four single beds. Each bedroom has a dedicated bathroom, and the double bedrooms open out to private patios. Beds are draped in netting, adding to the tropical vibe, and the bathrooms are clean lined and convenient, with walk-in showers.

Simple luxury is at the core of this home’s philosophy, and it offers a true melding of indoor and outdoor living. Indoor spaces are fully equipped and comfortable, yet the abundance of louvered doors along both structures puts the focus outdoors. The manicured deck is the home’s foundation, and it offers outdoor living and dining spaces as well as wide daybeds for truly unwinding.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The managers live in a separate home on the same property and are available to help at all times. A housekeeper is present throughout the day and, for an additional fee, can help guests to prepare breakfast. In addition, guests can hire a housekeeper in the evenings to help with cooking and cleaning. Atins has mini-supermarkets, greengrocers and butchers, and it's possible to order more items from the delivery service Barreirinhas. The owners recommend renting a quadricycle for a more enriching and comfortable experience.

AROUND

This vacation home for rent in Brazil is located in Atins. A small fishing village in northeastern Brazil along the Atlantic coast, it remains ultra-remote, a mostly undeveloped sandy paradise that is gaining fame for its world-class winds for kitesurfing and unique, lagoon-lined sand dunes. 

A sweet, small town with no paved roads and only a few services, Atins is the best base from which to visit the epic sand dunes of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The park’s dunes are astounding, soaring up to 40 meters high and filled with a maze of turquoise lagoons that wind for miles through the white sand. Kitesurfers zigzag across the lagoons, and exploration on horseback, 4x4 or guided on foot is also possible. 

Beaches around Atins are luxuriously empty, dotted with the colorful sails of kite schools and a handful of funky cafes and beachfront, barefoot taverns.

LOCATION

Barreirinhas/Atins, Maranhão, Brazil. Nearest airport: Marechal Cunha Machado International (103 miles).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: July to November for kitesurfing winds