Casa Duna

A Retreat by French-Brazilian Contemporary Artists on Brazil's Corumbau Beach

The distinguishing feature of this home is its breezy, “inside-out” design of interconnected living spaces joined by a sand garden, landscaped patios, external stairs, and terraces (a rooftop perch under Bahia’s starry skies). It's an artful composition, a kind of "grown up sandcastle," that features a large, open-air living room and kitchen building designed for unwinding after a day of sand and swim in Corumbau's calm waters. With its ocean views, a vintage Brazilian rosewood dining table, and a white velvet sofa, the space feels spare and relaxed, yet still polished and unique. A garapa wood ceiling is hung with large pendants created by the owners, and a cactus grows from the living room floor.

Exit the screen-styled doors and glide along a white sand path to the three ensuite double bedrooms, furnished in raw natural materials and dressed up by gold and black details. Bath basins and bedroom lamps were designed by the owners, and the home’s architecture presents an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow. Shifting hours of daylight and night reveal sharp lines on the home’s walls, and transform shadows into graphics against the property’s smooth, sensuous walls. External staircases and inventive window openings add to the artful architecture. There’s a roof terrace under Bahia’s starry skies that promises ocean views for miles.

While created to be an open, elemental beachfront property, the home is air conditioned and wifi equipped, and it offers a modern, modern kitchen and bathrooms equipped with Italian showers. There are mosquito nets in the bedrooms.

Around

Set on the beach at Corumbau, on Brazil’s Bahian coastline, this home uses its remarkable sandy site as an architectural feature. Only about 10 kilometers from the town of Caraiva, this section of the Bahian coast is known for the nearby Ponta de Corumbau, a 15-kilometer-long sandy spit and reef that extends into the sea at low tide. The ponta is visible from the property's roof terrace and it is an easy, stunning bike ride from the house at low tide, with bike rentals available in the village. Warm, turquoise waters and tranquility are the rule in the extreme southern section of Bahia, and the sea is framed by coconut palms and almond trees and cut through by the Corumbau River. The area is set away from the crowds and large hotels, and offers a setting that feels a little bit lost in time, more in tune with the fishermen and the tides than tourism. Corumbau is one of the jewels of the so-called "Costa de Descobrimento," a natural reserve that's a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A fishing village stands where the river spills into the sea, and a handful of small, rustic cafes offer freshly caught fish. Snorkeling the coral reefs is a must, as is taking a whale-watching boat trip, in season. Kitesurfs and SUPs are available for rental in Caraiva village. Hikers can head up Mount Pascoal. The Itacolomi Reef is a scuba diving destination, and kayakers can paddle the Corumbau river to see the mangroves up close. The best time to experience the Ponta de Corumbau is at low tide’s peak, as the sand is not visible at high tide. Ponta de Corumbau beach is above water year-round, and generally unpopulated. The region is home to the indigenous Pataxo Community, with the village of Barra Velha offering a multitude of handicrafts including jewelry.

Location

Nearest airports: Porto Seguro (225km), Teixeira de Freitas, (127 km), Available helicopter transfer from Porto Seguro or bi-plane engine landing at Veleiro (5km).

Best time to visit

September to February