Hotel Porto Di Mare — Hotel in Região Imediata de Caraguatatuba-Ubatuba-São Sebastião

This past September was the third time my wife and I have stayed at the Hotel Porto di Mare on Praia Enseada, Ubatuba, Brazil. Why do we keep returning? The hotel and the beach at its front door offer the best of everything, from genuinely courteous service to an immaculate beach that, on most days, is thinly populated. ||||The hotel was built by an immigrant couple from Italy in the 1970s. Now 94, Dona Alba, the matron, is constantly on the move through the small hotel, still checking on details to make sure all is up to speed. The hotel is still in the family -- grandson Eduardo and his Italian wife Inti are in charge today -- and the experience is much like being in a welcoming private estate. Yes, it's a three story hotel with more than 20 rooms, but the charm of the place is its relaxed atmosphere and the cheery disposition of the owners and their exceptional staff. Bruno, one of the staff members, is an English teacher and has a jazz program on a local radio station. Gustavo, another staffer, sells restaurant equipment on the side and is interested in political philosophy. And, Joao, the stray dog that's part of the family, has become a fixture around the hotel grounds (I take credit for naming the pooch during a trip two years ago!).||||Ubatuba, about five hours from Sao Paulo, is a municipality that boasts dozens of beaches that stretch for miles along this section of Brazil's "Costa Verde, including some that are popular with surfers. The actual town of Ubatuba is but a 10 minute ride by bus or car from the Hotel Porto di Mare, and offers a bit of sightseeing, some shopping, and a good range of restaurants.||||While at the hotel, don't be afraid to do a little exploring by foot. Winding roads behind the hotel snake up into the mountain that overlooks the beach, affording some spectacular views. An even more adventurous excursion is to follow a very primitive trail that leads from the beach over a small peninsula to a remote beach on the other side. Hardly anyone makes this trek and it is filled with memorable scenes of tropical nature at its most vibrant.||||Back at the hotel, enjoy Italian specialties in the dining room or a caipirinha cocktail in the garden overlooking the beach. It's hard to imagine anywhere...

A peaceful paradise summarizes my visit. I stayed for 5 nights at the end of June-beginning of July as a solo English-speaking female traveler. A taxi from Sao Paulo is about 3.5 hours and so worth the trip! The ride is very scenic. I felt complete happiness & peace when arriving here, surrounded by the forest, ocean, and kindness of the hotel. Everyone from the owner, management, the front desk, waiters at the restaurant, to the maids, were friendly, wonderful, and accommodating! So many names to list, so I will just thank everyone all at once!!!! I felt safe, welcomed, and very much at home. I'm vegetarian and the restaurant had many delicious options. I was lucky to be visiting during low season and often had the hotel to myself. My room was clean, quiet, and had a beautiful view of the calm ocean, which is steps in front of the hotel. The beach makes for a lovely walk and connects to paths to other beaches on each end. ||||The highlight of my stay was surfing! When I emailed the hotel to ask about a surf guide, Diego was extremely helpful & put me in immediate contact with André, who owns Alaia Tourism. I cannot say enough positive things about Alaia Tourism. André, the owner, was my individual surf guide for three days, and was also my driver back to the airport in Sao Paulo. He is honestly the best surf guide I have ever had in my surf travels! He has clear passion & expertise in surfing and the local area. We visited several gorgeous breaks, and he took the time to scientifically explain to me the details of each break that contribute to favorable conditions. That kind of knowledge is rarely provided by surf guides. I appreciate how he selected breaks that suited my ability level, always making sure that I was comfortable and safe. He also gave me key surfing tips to improve my surfing and took fun pictures of me surfing too. Regardless if you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced surfer, I highly recommend...

The hotel Porto Di Mare is located on a bay south of Ubatuba. The rest of the sea front properties are almost all private residences. This means the beach is very quiet. We arrived on a Sunday, with a few guests, but on Monday, the beach hotel and the beach were almost empty. There are a few locals on the beach, though. It is a lovely and quite neighborhood with not much commercial activity. If you do not want to eat in the hotel, you may have to drive to Ubatuba, about 10 car minutes away. The hotel itself is about 40 years old but the current owners (grandson of the original owners) is making sure it looks fresh and new. The rooms may be considered basic, but the bed was comfortable and the shower was good. The rooms have mini fridges and airco and we had a fantastic view of the ocean, with a small balcony to enjoy the evenings.||Wifi is available throughout the hotel for free. The pool is on the first floor but we preferred sitting on the desolate beach. There is bar service on the beach, excellently provided by Wilson,Pedro and Joezinho. The breakfast offers lots of choice. Th restaurant opens at noon and is open non stop for lunch and dinner snacks until 22 hours. The menu is good and varied.||Staff in the hotel is very friendly. No effort is too big for them. Most of them speak English, so good for non Portuguese speaking guests. The owners are very friendly and on site most of the time. It is a great place to relax and enjoy the...