Pousada Picinguaba — Hotel in Região Imediata de Caraguatatuba-Ubatuba-São Sebastião

Firstly a little about getting there. It is about 3 hours from Angra Dos Reiss and around 40 minutes away from Paraty. You come off the main coast road and drive for about a mile and a half down a pot holed road. Evidently it was meant to have been re-paved 18 months ago but the council have not got round to it (sound familiar?). ||The village (and it is a village of about 600) sits on a sandy strip of unmade road with half a dozen restaurants and bars on either side. It is a fishing village but a lot of the boats now seem to ferry tourists to nearby islands and beaches. ||The Pousada is up a hill so you need to walk the last 300 yards. Make sure you let the Pousada know your time of arrival and they will send someone to collect your bags. ||The Pousada itself sits on a hill and has a fantastic view out over the bay. It is very oldy worldy and much as you would expect on old Portuguese colonial house to be. I think it has around 20 rooms. We were slightly out of season so only us an a family there. ||The pool furniture was a bit uncomfortable and could do with renewing as could the upholstery for the lobby furniture. The shutters in the room were a bit of a struggle t open and close. ||However, none of this should take away from the sheer charm of the place. To be able to sit on the balcony and watch the parakeets, hummingbirds and other bird life was the ultimate destresser. ||Not much choice for the evening meals if you chose to eat there which we did for 4 nights. It was 4 fish dishes cooked in different ways and beautifully by Camilla. ||It is not a place for party animals. No tv and only internet access in the lobby. However, if you are looking for a place to relax and be at one with nature this is it, They have another property in the mountains which we would have loved to have tired. Maybe next time. ||Highly...

This place is a beautiful getaway. You could imagine working on your novel here for a couple of weeks (go on, you know you want to!). The vibe is eco-simplicity, of the luxury kind. No TV, no mobiles (you can probably phone from reception if you must, but the idea is clearly that you don't - that is why you are here). The aesthetic is Vincent-in-Arles meets Greek island. Blue and white predominates. There are a couple of small things that would improve it without much extra outlay. I'll come to those. ||But first, the good. The view from your window is breathtaking. Straight down to the bay with lush vegetation and birdsong in between. Your first sight of it framed in a picture window is quite something! ||The food is excellent. Gorgeous fruit juices for breakfast. I think most guests try out the village at lunchtime, but you can get lunch here if you pre-order it. The staff are lovely. Not all speak English, but all are anxious to help.||The beds are comfortable and the garden has plenty of nooks and crannies to sit in if you don't fancy sunbeds.||I have a mobility issue and walk with a stick, but found the access from the village manageable. It is quite a long way but the steps are not themselves steep and there are handrails. Perhaps a bench halfway up would be a welcome addition? I would recommend taking a torch as some short steps inside the grounds could be awkward in the dark. ||The small touches I would add are these. Drinking water in the rooms. Reception provide it on request, but really it would add a lot if it was there already. Paper tissues in the bathroom. Care is taken to provide lovely toiletries but it always seems odd to me that so few places bother to supply paper tissues. Tourists get colds too and loo paper doesn't cut it. ||But in all, a gorgeous place to spend a...

Just a little miracle. Nested on top of Pincinguaba - a small fishermen village enjoying the unique privilege of State natural park protection - this one-of-its kind boutique hotel created and run by Manu and Bianca is just the perfect place to unwind and immerge in nature! The view from the swimming pool and its amazing terrace is breathtaking all day long. And if that weren't enough you come across tucans, colibris, little sagui monkis and many flashy others! Just a stone's throw away is the Fazenda Beach, making you feel like a cast away: beautiful, immense... empty (but you can get your Caipirinha and grilled fish back to the hotel)! As a Frenchman I love food. And I was not disappointed! The breakfast is a delight, like everything else. All freshly prepared by great cooks, and 100% organic. Rediscover what taste means! |I forgot to mention the sunsets, that you can also go enjoy from the house's boat moored in the bay, the great staff, and, and...and... But shhhht. Don't spread the word too much. Well, okay, a last tip: after enjoying the sea at Picinguaba rush to Fazenda Catuçaba to discover the charms of this property and the country side around it, retreat in fabulous secluded houses, ride horses and more! Go check out too! After a week at Picinguaba I'm finishing a one week stay there at the Lake house (yes it has its private lake!) Can't resolve to leave and get back to rainy...