Comuna do Ibitipoca — Hotel in Região Geográfica Imediata de Juiz de Fora

It's been well over a week since I came back from Comuna do Ibitipoca, and I still find myself speechless in trying to explain the experience to others. (It was years of hearing others talk about this place that made me finally go, I just had to see for myself)||||My daydreams are haunted by this place, I feel obsessed with it, dreaming of how to go back asap. ||||I rented a car at the Rio airport and made the 3.5 hour drive - a very easy trip as you pretty much are put right on Route 40 out of the airport. Highways were super, exciting drive up the mountains from Rio and then a casual cruise to Lima Duarte where you then have about 20km of dirt road to reach Engenho Lodge. The rural scenery just gets better and better the further back you go. ||||Rooms: Absolutely gorgeous. I stayed in one of the eight guest suites at Engenho Lodge for most of the time. Beautifully restored colonial farmhouse just oozing with character and detail - but with a zen like simplicity to it as well. You want to touch every surface as the texture of the old wood and antiques is marvelous. Linens, bedding, bed was dreamy. Beautiful clawfoot tubs, gargantuan shower-heads split off old copper piping and huge fluffy towels. Warm radiant floor heating and total serenity. The sound of the frog in the pond outside my window lulled me to sleep every night. Something about the zen nature of this place awakens the senses and you appreciate things you generally don't notice. I then spent one night in the remote community cabin, Humbolt Loft, in the village of Mogol where I rode one day by marvelous horseback. That experience was sublime, much more rustic accommodation, but with the magic service that Ibitipoca served up around every corner . ||||Food: Warm creamy polenta soup with poached egg and truffle oil, the most marvelous guava souffle for dessert. Waking in the morning to go pour a hot cup of local coffee out of an antique copper kettle kept warm atop the wood burning stove in the dining room. Trays of exquisite baked good flowing out of the kitchen, served with a friendly smile. Platter upon platter of exotic fruits I couldn't remember the name of. The food is mostly all organically grown on the farm, even down to the rice. I could have just eaten the rice and beans the entire stay and been happy they were so simply perfect. Loved the bottles of locally distilled Cachaca sitting on windowsills with small tin cups hanging on pegs, asking you to stop for a drink on the house. Just such marvelous little details with food and beverage, such exquisite food but served in a hearty farmhouse simplicity, with authentic genuine service behind it. They encourage you to pop into the kitchen whenever you want, really make you feel at home. I can't stop writing about food.. They also have an open air farmhouse bistro about 800 meters form the main lodge you can walk down to eat at. Sit there being served by chef Odette, a jolly afro-Brazilian woman who has pots of boiling stews to explore, as Macaws walk around the barn rafters above you. Also a great restaurant in the village of Mogol where I spent a night. Og and can't forget the outdoor BBQ near their private beach and swimming hole. All in all about 5 different places to eat, scattered across the reserve. ||||Excursions: Well, there are 13,000 acres of outdoors to explore. Just brimming with wildlife and exotic plants. Waterfall after waterfall to experience, each one there would magically be a rolled up towel waiting for me in case I felt like taking a dip. Little refugios across the property where fresh juices and snacks are magically waiting for you. Explored by horses, galloping across the land - explored by foot, explored by great full suspension E-Bikes which powered me up 4,000ft climbs to the top of mountains and then down through jungle trails to meadows full of 30 foot tall art sculptures originally displayed at burning man festival?!? Crossing little springs where tin cups hang on wires inviting you to take a sip from mother earth. The guides, Junior and Adelson (and others I can't remember the names of) were such sweet souls, brimming with enthusiasm to show you the next surprise around the corner - nothing was too much hassle. It was a constant struggle of wanting to sit and enjoy every spot serenely, to soak it up, but not wanting to waste a moment as you knew more and more surprises awaited you the more you explored. ||||Yoga/Spa: 9am yoga class every morning in the converted wooden barn - perfect music, perfect instruction. Wild toucans flew in each morning to the yoga barn, perching on furniture to watch us humans stretch as they did stretches of their own. Was I in a dream? The massage I took one evening was one of the best I've ever experienced. Never even had time to use the pool sized outdoor jacuzzi which I regret.||||People: This for me was the icing on the cake. I'd never received such authentic true hospitality from an entire community - not talking staff, but talking an entire community. You feel taken into this magic land by them and fully welcomed. Portuguese is the norm, of course, you are in remote Brazil - but the language barrier is never really made much of an issue as everyone understands a smile and what it is to be in this magical place. ||||Ibitipoca takes you back to the root of what is important in life - what truly makes people happy - clean abundant nature well cared for, fresh air, healthy quality food from the earth, moving your body and being aware of it, treating people with respect, dignity and kindness - sharing. ||||One of the most magical places on earth. You'll understand once you have been there. ||||Thank you Renato and your entire community, may others follow...

When we were first planning our three-week trip to Brazil, our travel agent couldn't recommend this place strongly enough, but we frankly didn't understand why because it didn't seem like the location was anything special, and the activities didn't seem particularly exotic either. It seemed like it was the hotel itself, but we didn't understand how a hotel could be so nice that it trumped other more beautiful locations. ||||Now that we've been there for three nights, we understand completely. From the moment you arrive, they welcome you with a fresh juice and cold towels to refresh yourself, and it sets the tone for the rest of our stay. Meals are taken in the dining room (or other surprise spots occasionally) at your leisure whenever you want. You can have dinner at 7pm or 10:30pm if you wish, and the meals were absolutely delicious. Lunches tend to be Brazilian, but the dinners have a French style, courtesy of a French chef who had apparently stayed there and had designed a week's worth of menus for them. You have a choice of appetizer, a main course and dessert. Other than the souffle which they need to work on a little more, everything was perfect. They have a huge garden where they grow much of their own produce, and there is apparently a vegan restaurant on the property in the works.||||The lodge itself is a restored Brazilian farmhouse that is beautiful. The rooms are comfortable, spacious and quaint. They assign you a guide who takes you on hikes, horseback rides, biking or whatever you prefer. The hikes can be somewhat strenuous, but they do their best to break it up with small surprises - snacks laid out near a waterfall at just the right time, drinks and hors d'oeuvres on a look out at sunset, etc. We are amateurs at horseback riding but their horses are probably the best trained horses that we've been on in our dozen or so experiences around the world. ||||We understand the owner started out in the mining business, but in his later years has acquired this huge amount of property to create a sort of Shangri-La. He has an appreciation of art and you will see interesting work throughout the property including a massive Burning Man installation with a fun story that I will let them tell. He also appears to be a beloved manager. Our guide told us that he helped send him to California to learn English, and that he shares profits with his employees. A happy staff always make a resort more pleasant for the guests and you can tell. ||||What makes this place all the more special is that Brazil as a country is behind in world class luxury standards, so it says volumes that Ibitipoca has managed to make this happen. We met another Brazilian couple who were clearly regulars there, who almost seemed afraid that it would become too popular. Indeed, part of what makes this place special is the intimacy of the service. I||||Some not-to-misses: ||- spa. they have wonderfully skilled masseuses. (don't get this weird treatment where they suspend you in air. you basically just dangle in a contraption for 15 min or so, and it takes as long to put you up and take you down. i was curious to try it because i'd never heard of it but i'm here to say it's a waste. Get the massage instead twice. They're great)||- go take a peak in the kitchen. The owner loved the movie Ratatouille so much that he supposedly had the kitchen modeled after the kitchen in the movie. It's very charming. ||- Their Pao de Quejo is the best we had during our entire trip. We got to watch one of the cooks make it, which was huge fun. ||- Make friends with the Antonio the macaw. If you feed him a banana, he will come on your arm. ||- Take advantage of the hot tub. We did every night and no...

This is a place like no other - it is well worth the trek from Rio but stay for a minimum of three days. This tranquil retreat is more than a beautiful lodge in a pastoral natural setting; it is an undertaking where the staff are partners in a long term enterprise that provides jobs working to preserve the local environment.  Conservation is very much the dominant theme. The lodge is airy and tastefully decorated with all sorts of interesting books and local artefacts. The verandahs are exceedingly welcoming with comfortable seating and hammocks, ideal for reading. There is a pavilion where yoga is offered at 9am every day, and where we had the best ever massages - thanks Andrea. The rooms are spacious with fantastic beds and the bathrooms each have a lovely old fashioned tub. The food is sourced locally and is beyond fresh and delicious. Eggs are prepared on the wood stove in the dining room and there is a plethora of tasty bread and cakes. On the wildlife front, Ibitipoca is a bird paradise. Two macaws greet you upon arrival. Parmesan, a pretty yellow bird is very friendly and likes to share your breakfast, but does get rather greedy. And the local toucan makes frequent appearances. Aside from enjoying the serenity, there are lots of activities to keep you occupied. There is a stable with well cared for horses which will take you on a variety of trails, or you can hike or take bikes. Waterfalls, lakes and forests are in abundance and offer lots of beautiful views and enticing swims. And we were astonished to find an incredible art installation on top of one of the mountains: seven large sculptures made from welded iron (about 6 tons each and up to 30 feet high). We were delighted to meet Renato Machado the founder, who spends about half his time in Ibitipoca. He is passionate about the mission of improving conditions that will enable people in the region to feel happy, and his respect for the team is evident. Thanks to our guides Philippe and Edioso, to Jonathan for your breakfasts and for creating imaginative place settings for each meal and to Nadje for welcoming us. We hope to return...