This impressive former merchant’s mansion occupies the corner of two of the quietest street in the colonial heart of Paraty which is closed to all motorised traffic. In the evening the best restaurants and boutiques are a short walk away along the pretty cobbled streets of white-washed houses and by day it is only a couple of minutes walk to get to the Keys where boats leave from to explore the beaches and tiny islands of the Bay of Paraty, some of boast surprisingly good seafood restaurants.

This is a great house for socialising and entertaining and the layout of the house lends itself to this with much of the ground floor of the main part of the house given over to a large sitting room, connecting dinning room and large adjacent kitchen. On the other side of the sitting room is a wide tiled veranda which is great for breakfast or sitting and reading in the heat of the day and savouring the lush, green tropical garden.

Dotted with native fruit and mature coconut palm trees the garden is however most noted or the collection of fragrant orchids that lend the house its name.

The owner is a cookery writing whose speciality is modern (lighter) interpretations of traditional Brazilian dishes and exploring original uses for locally sourced ingredients (carpaccio of palmito or locally caught octopus; puddings such as crème brulee with passion fruit) and her kitchen is equipped with large fridge-freezers and professional hobs and ovens. What’s more Teresa and Marta who work in the house faithfully recreate many of these dishes and are available to cook from 8am – 10pm.

The 5 bedroom suites are spread between the main structure (two double rooms down stairs and one master-double on the first floor) and single story structure with extends along one side of the garden. A further two bedrooms that are accessed through the garden can be set up with either double or twin beds. All 5 bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, ceiling fans and air-conditioning.

The result of all this is stunning and both in terms of value for money for what is on offer and for the experience of staying in such a wonderful home – an immensely stylish, very comfortable property with all mod cons (wireless internet, cable TV), wonderfully trained and accommodating staff and a fabulous location in the heart of the old town, just a short walk to the best restaurants and boutiques.

South America : Brazil

Paraty is a lovely 17th century town that has been perfectly preserved thanks to a long period of isolation and declared a National Historical Monument in 1966 which has further safeguarded its preservation. The winding, narrow streets paved with giant cobblestones, were designed to protect the town from pirate raids. Small fishermen’s cottages sit side-by-side with impressive merchants mansions, all white stucco with brightly coloured shutters and doors. Vehicles are banned from the old town and the wealth of art galleries, shops and restaurants are best explored on foot.

The old town today buzzes with a good selection of unpretentious bars and restaurants, small shops and galleries that offer of good options to eat out in the evening.

Climate and When to Go

Best months are from March to October where there is less rain, although the peak season is still Dec/Jan/Feb, the summer, when it is both hotter and wetter. The increasingly well known literary festival, FLIP, takes place in July.

Getting there

Paraty is located on the coast almost equidistant between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo both of which can be reached in 3.5 – 4 hours by road. The nearest airports are at Rio de Janeiro (236km) and Sao Paulo (330km). Paraty also has a landing strip big enough to accommodate light aircraft and small jets.

Casa Orquidea is fully catered.

Facilities

• Laundry
• Professional cooker and stove
• Two large fridge-freezers
• Microwave
• Air conditioning in all bedrooms
• Barbecue
• Totally private walled garden
• Large swimming pool
• Mature private gardens to play
• Great location at the heart of the colonial town
• Cable TV
• Wireless broadband internet

• Great deserted beaches
• Unspoilt Colonial town with architecture dating back to the 17th Century
• Excellent choice of restaurants/bars
• Boat charter; from chug-chug fishing boats, Zodiacs, motor- cruisers and fully crewed yachts by the day
• Watersports; Waterskiing, wakeboarding, sea kayaks, dingy sailing school, surfing and surf lessons
• Sea Fishing
• Car and bicycle rental
• Yacht and schooner charter from 1 day-1 week in Brazil’s best sailing territory
• Brazilian Cookery lessons
• Rainforest treks to waterfalls and deserted beaches
• Diving and Snorkelling
• Fantastic Island restaurants
• Horse Riding
• Land Rover tours of the surrounding region, remote beaches and rainforest
• Excellent day spa for massage, yoga and beauty treatments