Every April brings our highly anticipated annual pilgrimage to Brazil, and this time around, we traded our usual routine for an epic multi-stop road trip through Cunha, Paraty, Ilha Bela, and Curitiba.
We always travel to somewhere nice when we are in Brazil and you can check other posts such as: Balneário Camboriú and Ilha do Mel from my Brazil page.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog! It’s completely free, and it ensures you will never miss an update from our Brazil road trip or our future travel adventures around the globe.
As regular readers know, we are absolute champions of independent travel. For this itinerary, we explored completely at our own pace using a rental car booked through Discover Cars, which made navigating incredibly smooth.
That being said, if your idea of a relaxing holiday does not involve white-knuckle driving on foreign, unfamiliar roads, you can skip the logistical headache entirely.
You can leave the planning, navigating, and driving to the professionals by booking a fully organised excursion through TourRadar. They offer a fantastic variety of curated itineraries designed to fit every budget and travel style.
Feel free to browse their incredible trips through my exclusive links. Even better, if you book using my special promo code RoseG50 at checkout, you will score a great discount on your next big adventure!
Below is a map showing the exact route and places we visited on this action-packed trip:
When we are in Brazil, our home base is São Vicente. It’s where most of our family lives and where we own a flat, which, when we aren’t using it ourselves, double-jobs as a holiday rental.
To kick off this specific adventure, my Mum, my daughter, and I touched down a full week ahead of my husband. He finally joined our feminine stronghold on Good Friday, landing just in time for the Easter festivities.
ARRIVAL IN CUNHA
Our big plan for the Easter long weekend was a getaway to a countryside slice of heaven in Cunha called “Hotel Fazenda São Francisco”. We have been to this farm before when our kids were little, and we have very good memories of spending a brilliant time with them on this farm.
After a lovely week recharging at our flat, we hit the road from São Vicente at the crack of dawn. Our mission: navigate the São Paulo airport traffic, scoop up my husband, and head straight for the hills of Cunha. Fortunately, everyone survived the journey, and we successfully checked in at the farm.
“Hotel Fazenda São Francisco” is tucked away beautifully in the coastal mountains of Cunha, São Paulo. Perched at a crisp altitude of 1,050 metres inside the lush Atlantic Forest, this stunning 50-acre estate runs right alongside the historic “Estrada Real”, serving up panoramic views of the “Serra da Bocaina” mountain range.
Positioned about 18 kilometres from Cunha’s town centre and a scenic 2.5-hour drive from the São Paulo concrete jungle, it is the ultimate highly rated sanctuary for couples, friends, and families desperate to swap high-speed city chaos for some nature-infused peace and quiet.
Naturally, we timed our arrival perfectly with lunchtime. After a swift check-in, we marched straight to the restaurant to tackle our very first farm feast. Their packages are completely all-inclusive, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Challenge accepted.
After rolling ourselves out of the restaurant post-lunch, we set off to burn some calories and explore the estate. The farm is practically a mini-resort, boasting a private waterfall, a petting zoo (of sorts), hiking trails carved into the forest, a sauna, tennis courts, swimming pools, and a lovely little chapel dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi.
After dynamic exploration, and by that, I mean an easy stroll, we retreated to our rustic chalet for some serious pre-dinner relaxation.
Speaking of dinner, it was another culinary masterpiece. They served a spectacular “Bacalhoada,” a traditional Portuguese salted cod dish that is practically mandatory on Good Friday.
By this point, my brother and sister-in-law had successfully joined the expedition. Post-feast, the whole crew headed to the games room for a high-stakes, family tournament of billiards.
The farm was blissfully quiet, with only a few other chalets occupied. In fact, exclusivity is part of the charm here; they only have about 12 chalets in total. After an hour of potting balls and missing cues, we called it a night, mostly because my husband’s jet lag was finally catching up to him after his marathon travel day.
The next morning, we woke up to a breakfast that redefines the term “farm-to-table.” We are talking fresh milk straight from the resident cows, locally churned butter, and artisanal cheeses. The table was piled high with fresh fruits, some plucked directly from the farm’s own orchards, and organic eggs courtesy of the free-range chickens we’d met earlier.
Fuelled up and ready to go, my daughter and I tackled the next adventure: a guided horseback trail ride. Our guide took us on a long, winding trek across the property, culminating in some genuinely jaw-dropping panoramic views from the top of the mountain.
Upon our return, we rightfully earned some lounge time by the swimming pool until it was time to eat all over again. Unsurprisingly, lunch was another delicious culinary affair that left us thoroughly satisfied.
In the afternoon, we decided to break out of our idyllic farm bubble and explore the actual centre of Cunha. We wandered through the historic town centre, visiting the “Igreja Matriz, Nossa Senhora da Conceição” (The main church), the local city market, and a few quirky shops and ceramic studios.
Cunha is charmingly small and wonderfully sleepy, the kind of authentic countryside town where you will casually spot real-life cowboys riding their horses down the main street.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CUNHA
The Secret History of Cunha: Gold, Soldiers, and a Ceramics Revolution
To understand Cunha, you have to look back to the 18th century, when this sleepy valley was a crucial pitstop on the “Estrada Real” (the Royal Gold Trail). Gold extracted from the mines of Minas Gerais was hauled right through here down to the coast of Paraty, destined for Portugal.
Because of its strategic mountain bottleneck, Cunha effectively functioned as a colonial checkpoint designed to keep smugglers from making off with the Portuguese Crown’s treasure.
Fast forward to 1932, and Cunha found itself on the frontlines again during the Constitutionalist Revolution, serving as a fierce battleground where local forces blocked federal troops from advancing into São Paulo.
But the real, peaceful revolution happened in 1975. A small group of visionary Brazilian, Portuguese, and Japanese potters rolled into town, looked at the local clay, and realised the mountain climate was perfect for their craft.
They moved into an old, abandoned slaughterhouse and introduced South America to the “Noborigama” kiln, a multi-chambered, wood-fired Japanese kiln that reaches temperatures over 1,300°C. Just like that, Cunha transformed from a quiet farming outpost into the official Ceramics Capital of Brazil.
What to See: Lavender Fields, Kilns, and Sunset Magic
If you are planning to break away from the farm hotel for a day, here is what you absolutely cannot miss:
- The Noborigama Potteries: You can wander into dozens of active artisan studios scattered around town, but Workshop Suenaga & Gardener Ceramics is the granddaddy of them all. If you time your trip right, you can witness a “fornada opening”, a major local event happening just five times a year when the massive wood-fired kilns are cooled down and opened to reveal the newly vitrified masterpieces.
- O Lavandário (The Lavender Fields): No, you haven’t been magically transported to the south of France. Perched high on a ridge, O Lavandário features roughly 40,000 blooming lavender plants. It is widely considered the absolute best place in the region to watch the sunset, where the orange sky perfectly contrasts against the sea of purple fields.
- Contemplário: If one lavender field isn’t enough, Contemplário offers another gorgeous, free-to-enter alternative complete with walking paths and a boutique shop packed with lavender-infused essential oils and soaps.
- Fazenda Aracatu: For a taste of local culture, make a pit stop at Fazenda Aracatu. Part cafe and part rustic emporium, it’s the ultimate spot to sample regional delicacies like “Torta de Pinhão” (a cake made from local pine nuts), sip artisanal coffee by a roaring fireplace, and pick up home-churned cheeses.
- Canto das Cachoeiras: If you didn’t get enough waterfall time at the hotel, this eco-park features well-maintained forest trails leading to stunning hidden cascades, wrapped up with an excellent on-site bistro.
Some Fun Facts:
- The Beetle Capital: For reasons no one can fully explain, Cunha holds one of the highest per-capita concentrations of Volkswagen Beetles (Fuscas) in Brazil. They are so beloved here that the town hosts an unmissable annual Fusca Festival to celebrate the iconic little cars conquering the steep mountain inclines.
- The Pinhão Obsession: Cunha is famous for its massive Araucaria pine trees, which produce large, delicious pine nuts called “pinhão”. The locals put it in absolutely everything, from traditional stews and risottos to cakes, pastries, and ice cream.
VISITING CUNHA AND AROUND
The following morning, right after our customary farm breakfast, we set off for the famous lavender fields of “O Lavandário.” Because of the time of year, the fields weren’t quite putting on their full, vibrant-purple show, but we could still admire plenty of surviving blooms stretching across the ridges. Honestly, even if the lavender isn’t at its peak, the sweeping, dramatic views of the surrounding mountains are absolutely worth the trip alone.
We took a lovely stroll along their pristine, well-maintained paths, which guided us to some spectacular lookout points. Eventually, we gravitated back to the main visitor area, which features a lovely boutique shop and an artisanal ice cream parlour.
They serve up some wonderfully unconventional herbal and botanical flavours, including basil, rosemary, pink peppercorn, and lavender. After letting us sample a few of their quirky creations, I committed to a scoop of each, the lavender and the basil ice cream. It was uniquely delicious!
Our next stop was “The Olival,” a fascinating little boutique olive grove with a rather artistic approach to farming. They actually play classical music to their olive trees! The theory is that the sound waves create mechanical vibrations carrying energy that resonates directly with the leaves, boosting chlorophyll production and supercharging photosynthesis. Talk about giving your plants the VIP treatment.
While the main attraction is simply the serene rows of trees and the gentle soundtrack of classical music echoing through the orchard, they also feature an excellent on-site shop and restaurant. Everything they sell and serve revolves around their premium, estate-grown olive oils.
Naturally, we snagged an outdoor table and signed up for an olive oil tasting. They brought out three distinct varieties alongside fresh bread for dipping. Every single one was fantastic, and while we were sorely tempted to buy the whole collection, we exercised some rare self-control and picked just our absolute favourite bottle to take home.
Appetites thoroughly teased, we made the drive back to the farm just in time for lunch. Once again, we were met with a sensational buffet spread, and, in what was quickly becoming a recurring theme for this trip, we definitely ate way too much!
We dedicated the rest of the afternoon to some guilt-free relaxation around the farm grounds. As evening rolled in, my Mum, my daughter, and I decided to head back into town to attend the traditional Easter Sunday mass at the “Igreja Matriz”, while the rest of our crew elected to hold down the fort in the games room.
The service was beautiful, and the historic church was absolutely packed to the rafters. Afterwards, we stepped outside to find a vibrant local food fair in full swing, featuring stalls selling all kinds of local street food and hearty sandwiches. Since our evening excursion meant missing our scheduled dinner back at the farm, we happily grabbed a couple of massive sausage sandwiches and ate like locals right there in the square.
Sadly, that brought our wonderful time in Cunha to an end. The region boasts plenty of other incredible landmarks like the “Cachoeira do Pimenta” (Pepper Waterfall), “Cachoeira do Desterro” (Exile Waterfall), and the famous “Pedra da Macela” (Macela Rock) lookout.
However, because we had my Mum with us and her mobility is a bit limited, we had to be selective. Since all of those spots require a fair bit of steep, uneven hiking, we wisely skipped them for this trip, giving us the perfect excuse to come back again in the future!
The following day, after breakfast, we checked out of the farm and continued our trip to Paraty. I will tell you all about it in my next post, next week.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat in Cunha. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
PLEASE NOTE: Every hotel, restaurants and attractions I mention on my blogs are not sponsored reviews and we always paid the full price when visiting. We give our own opinion of the place and detail our experience, good or bad.
THINGS TO DO
ATTRACTIONS
1 – O Lavandário – ***
2 – O Olival – ***
3 – Cunha Town – ***
4 – Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição – ***
5 – Mercado Municipal de Cunha – ***
6 – The Potteries – ***
7 – Contemplário
8 – Cachoeira do Pimenta
9 – Cachoeira do Desterro
10 – Pedra da Macela
WHERE TO STAY
ACCOMMODATION
1 – Hotel Fazenda São Francisco – 4* – ££ – *** – (We stayed here)
2 – As 3 Casinhas no Paraiso – 4* – ££
3 – Cabana Sol – 4* – ££
4 – Tiny Houses O Olival – 4* – ££
5 – Pousada Colonial – 5* – ££
6 – Hotel Quinta do Lago – 4* – ££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation, search and book via the below widget:
I use affiliate links such as the links above for Booking.com, Get your Guide, Viator and others. It means that if you use any of my links to make a booking, I will get a small commission from the partners I’m affiliated with without any additional cost to you. Please, use the links provided when making a booking, this is a way of supporting blogs like this so we can continue writing informative and interesting posts. I’m very thankful for that.
BEST PLACES TO EAT
RESTAURANTS
1 – La Taverne Bistrô – ££
2 – Verissima Bistrô – ££
3 – Restaurante Quebra Cangalha – ££
4 – Porco e Pizza – ££
5 – Átrio – ££
6 – Drao Restaurante and Atelier – ££
We only tried the ones in bold , the others are the result of my researches and ones that I would like to try. If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
If you really enjoy my content, visit the blog often, and want to support my work even further, you can buy me a drink via my “Buy Me a Coffee” page. Every little bit helps keep this project alive, and I would be absolutely delighted and incredibly grateful for your generosity!
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like to read:
On this trip to Brazil:
1 – Cunha
2 – Paraty
3 – Ilhabela
4 – Curitiba
Leave a Reply