Tropical Ranch and Coffee Plantation, Brazil
Reviews
“The ranch was absolutely brilliant, Judy is a fantastic host. I got to ride a number of horses and was able to do as much or as little as I wanted with them, the whole holiday was catered around me. The food was excellent and all of the animals are so well looked after - the horses, donkeys, sheep, goats... they all get the same treatment. I'd recommend!”
Horses
Type of horses:
Lusitanos and Mangalargas
Nature of horses:
Varied from calm and reliable to forward going and well schooled
Height of horses:
11 - 16.2h
Weight limit:
100kg
Tack type:
Western and English
Weather
Current Conditions:
Partly Cloudy, 23 C
Forecast:
Thu - Partly Cloudy. High: 24 Low: 14
Fri - Partly Cloudy. High: 26 Low: 14
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
2012:
Price per couple (5 nights): £1031 Single: £722 Children 5 and over: £233
Price per couple (6 nights): £1230 Single: £861 Children 5 and over: £266
Price per couple (7 nights): £1390 Single: £973 Children 5 and over: £299
Children under 5 go free.
These prices include all accommodation, meals, drinks and activities.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This exotic Brazilian destination is a little slice of paradise for horse lovers and those looking to relax at a rural but interesting farm. There are wonderful landscapes for riding with pastures, rolling hills, valleys and tropical forests. Guests can also ride through the fields of sugar canes and coffee plantations, enjoying rural roads and trails all year round. The subtropical vegetation is always green and the days remain intensely sunny throughout the seasons - it is particularly delightful to cool off in the waterfall or to splash around in the pool when it is hot.
Located in the northernmost part of the state of Parana, on the banks of the beautiful and unpolluted Paranapanema River, this farm has been in the family since 1928. Coffee has been grown here ever since and the hosts presently own about 750 acres of the original plot (about 40% of their overall property is protected forest). Much has changed and coffee is no longer of such importance, but there are reminders of the glorious past everywhere. About 5 years ago, they decided to diversify and plant some grass to make hay - they now have about 300 acres planted for this purpose. Another successful business here is their fish farming operation which flourishes as the area is rich in water resources. They also have various farm animals.
There are a choice of horses here from the graceful Lusitanos, including a dressage trained stallion, to the traditional Mangalargas which have docile temperaments and exceptionally smooth gaits making them perfect for trail riding. Depending on your skills or preferences, there are quieter horses or more frisky mounts. Trail rides are leisurely and guests can also try out their horse in the training ring or can help to train a youngster. Although not serious horse breeders, the hosts here do enjoy breeding from their mares and there are usually 10 or more foals produced each summer (December to February). There are also ponies and donkeys (Jenny, Nester and Frederico) for children's enjoyment and these can be ridden or cuddled!
In addition to the beautiful horses, there are a variety of other animals here including white Brahman cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. Not only do these provide fresh eggs, milk and meat but they also provide great entertainment for youngsters and adults alike with guests being able to help bottle-feed the baby animals, milk the cows or collect eggs. There are also plenty of other activities to do include taking a ride in the horse and cart, fishing, kayaking, swimming, adventuring into the private nature reserve or relaxing in a hammock and drinking yummy cocktails! Cattlework is also on the cards for those who are interested. The staff will happily drive you around, talk to you about their work and of course, show you all the best places to ride. They will also help you learn some Portuguese.
Accommodation in the traditional plantation house is welcoming and comfortable with an abundance of delicious food being served. The gardens and surroundings are green and lush and there is a whole host of wildlife and exotic birds to be seen, many of which can be viewed during the rides. The world's largest rodent, the Capybara, is often lurking and the hayfields are home to egrets, roadrunners, owls, hawks, buzzards and armadillos. Sometimes you can see small deer, large hares, raccoons and wild cats. Although harder to see, the forests are also home to Bugios (Howler Monkeys), Tucanos and Jaguartiricas (Pumas). A small private nature reserve has been created in the hopes of growing some missing native species of plant and exploration of the forest will reveal orchids, bromeliads, lizards and the dreamy waterfall.
Holidays here are exceptionally good value and the hosts never charge extra for any of the listed activities. There is so much to do here, plenty to keep the most active guests busy or to relax the most tired or stressed. A little piece of South American heaven!
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Guests are accommodated in the main plantation house, a building of Brazilian colonial style which was built in the 1940s. This house is built of bricks and features handmade roof tiles made from local clay. It has a stone foundation, handmade windows and wooden flooring and the thick masonry walls, high ceilings and wide veranda keep the house pleasantly cool.
There are common rooms indoors and out which are spacious and comfortable, perfect for relaxing or for getting to know the hosts and other guests. The grounds around the house are planted with subtropical plants, including an enormous "figueira", a wild fig tree, which shades the north (hot) side of the house.
There are 4 rooms with private bathrooms and 2 further rooms which share a bathroom. All rooms are double or twin and are furnished with simple wooden furniture.
Meals are served family style and prepared on the premises (they have a chef), using either homegrown ingredients or local produce. Guests are exposed to a lot of good Brazilian food, much of which is well seasoned and uses a lot of garlic, onion, olive oil and herbs from the garden. This destination has its own organic vegetable garden, produces their own milks and eggs and even has a bee-keeping operation to serve the tastiest honey. They serve free range chicken and turkey and often have their own lamb on the menu.
Breakfast - most of the breakfast foods are produced on the farm and this includes homemade breads and rolls, jams, honey, yogurt, cheese, milk, fresh eggs and of course their own coffee, roasted and brewed on the farm. They also offer exotic fresh fruit in season and freshly squeezed orange juice or fruit smoothies.
There is no set breakfast time, you can eat anytime between 7am and lunch!
Lunch - for Brazilians, lunch is the largest and most elaborate meal of the day. Here they always serve rice and beans, the Brazilian staple, well seasoned with onions and garlic and olive oil. To accompany them, they have a meat dish, beef, roast pork or lamb or Tilapia from their ponds.
They also serve cooked vegetables and yucca (manioc) from their organic garden or buy from local growers and always have a green salad.
You will have a chance to try feijoada (Brazil's famous black bean stew) and they also serve an elaborate Churrasco (the Brazilian barbeque which is now becoming famous in most large cities around the world) with lots of different meats and fried manioc. Another treat is a spicy Tilapia moqueca in a clay pot, the recipe borrowed from Brazil's northeast.
Desserts - the Brazilian desserts are much appreciated by the guests and they try to offer something new and different each day.
Sometimes they have "pudim", a tasty flan made from fresh eggs and milk. Another favorite is "manjar", a full bodied pudding made from cornstarch and coconut milk with a prune sauce topping. They have their own recipe for "arroz doce" which is a creamy rice pudding with raisins served warm. The house favourite is passion fruit or lemon mousse and sometimes they have "Key Lime Pie".
This destination always has fresh fruit available for dieters and of course dessert is not finished until after you have your "cafezinho", Brazilian espresso.
Dinner - dinner is traditionally the lighter meal. Sometimes they serve it quite late depending on the guests' preferences and the activity schedule for that day. They usually serve soup, salads, sandwiches, or pasta, accompanied by wine, liquors, or cocktails on the veranda.
Your hosts try to introduce you to as many new fruits, vegetables and juices as they can. South America has an amazing array of wonderful flavours. Depending on the season they can get oranges, limes, passion fruit, melon, guava, papaya, apples, pineapple, cashew, jabuticaba, star fruit, kiwi, strawberry, tangerine, coconut, persimmon, fig, manioc, heart of palm as well as mangos, avocados, and more varieties of banana than you ever knew existed! Some are great as juice, some eaten whole, or you can experiment mixing them in smoothies!
Activities
There is plenty to do here besides the fabulous horse riding. There is a beautiful waterfall in the private nature reserve and it is the perfect place to cool off and splash around on a hot day. This destination is bordered by the beautiful and unpolluted Paranapanema River with its clear emerald coloured water. You may fish, swim or kayak in it or in the stocked Tilapia ponds.
You may help the staff to care for the goats and sheep, learn to milk cows the old-fashioned way, or help to drive the Brahman cattle. They can always use extra hands for vaccinating and tagging too, as well as driving the tractor if you fancy a go! They regularly have newborn calves and foals, lambs and kids to care for, some of which may need bottle-feeding. You can also visit the other animals, including the donkeys and the wild capivaras (capybaras). It's a lovely destination for wildlife lovers.
For those who prefer not to ride or fancy a day off, you can still join the guided tours by being taken in a horse-drawn cart or car. You can also visit the coffee plantation or watch the haying operation... the opportunities are endless! If you wish to stay indoors then there is a billiards table, ping pong table, television and wireless internet.
Relaxation is easy to do here and you can relax by the pool with a local beer, wine or a freshly made caipirinha for the real Brazilian experience.
If you speak some Portuguese you can practice here. The hosts are native English speakers and are bilingual but most of the staff speak only Portuguese so you'll have plenty of chance to see if you can communicate. If you don't speak at all it won't be a handicap because the hosts will always be available if you need them.
Judy and her staff would also like to help you get acquainted with the real lifestyle of this part of the world. They will play Brazilian music for you and are happy to talk politics (if that's what you'd like!) and tell you about coffee harvests. They can also educate you on Brazilian agriculture, as well as social changes, and help you go back home with some real knowledge about what life in Brazil is all about.
Further Details
Languages: English and Portuguese - 'cowboys' do not speak English but the owner is American and has an Austrian helper (who speaks English). Cowboys use hand signals during the rides.
Health requirements: Fit & Healthy
Age limit: None
Tuition: No
Included: Accommodation, all meals, drinks and activities
Not included: Flights, transfers, travel insurance
Travel Information
There are regular flights into Sao Paulo and from here it is about a 5 hour drive to the farm. You can take a taxi or shuttle bus from Sao Paulo Airport to the Metropolitan Bus Depot. Then you can take a luxury bus to Ourinhos, which is 30 minutes away from the farm, and your hosts can meet you here. The transfer from Sao Paulo to Ourinhos costs approximately US$50. Public transport is good in this part of Brazil.
Alternatively, if you are in a group and willing to pay, a minivan can be sent to collect you from Sao Paulo for US$500.
If you prefer, flights to Marilia, SP or Londrina, Parana (LDB) are also a possiblity. They are about 2 hours by car from the farm.
Airport: Sao Paulo
Programme
Flexible Stay
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The daily rate at this beautiful Brazilian farm means that guests can create a holiday to suit them. Prices are daily and guests can choose to stay for as long as they like (no minimum stay required) with all activities being covered in the costs. You can ride for up to a maximum of 6 hours each day, trying out different things such as trail rides on the comfortable Mangalargas or trying something a little more refined on a pretty Lusitano. Trail rides take full advantage of the location and scenic routes will take you along rural roads which connect one farm to another. There are over 10,000 acres to be explored and the cowboys can show you all the best places. Trail rides are usually quite leisurely offering chances to enjoy the lovely views and the wildlife - you might even encounter a roadrunner! You will pass through plantations of coffee and sugarcane, corn and soybeans, hayfields, eucalyptus plantations and pastures full of white Brahman cattle. You can also visit old chapels and coffee storage buildings from Brazil's rural past. The 'gallopers' can go on ahead and the rest of the group can catch up later, the rides here are great for everyone. Riding down to the river and through a shallow part is a real treat for the more adventurous but you don't have to get your feet wet, you can just wait for the explorers to return and join you again. Below is a sample itinerary but please bear in mind, this is not a set programme but just some ideas of what you can do during your stay. You can just wake up each day and decide what you'd like to do if you prefer. Day 1: Flights from the US usually arrive in the morning in Sao Paulo and you will be transferred as by arrangement (probably by bus). It is a beautiful 5 hour ride through the Brazilian countryside on a well maintained freeway lined with horse and cattle farms, and orange and coffee plantations. Dinner will be served in the evening and you can make plans for the rest of your stay according to your preferences and the expected weather conditions. Day 2: Today your hosts can take you on a short tour of the farm so you may see their ongoing projects, meet some of the employees and get an overall notion of where things are. Lunch is traditionally the big meal and is served rather early in rural Brazil. After lunch you can be matched to your horse according to your level of horsemanship and take a ride through the hayfields and pastures and around the fish ponds. After dinner, if the clouds permit, Judy and her staff can show you the Southern Cross and the stars of the southern hemisphere. Day 3: If you want to get up early, you can ride the horses down to the river and climb the path up to the upper pastures. From there you have a lovely view of the nearby towns, the winding river, and the patchwork of fields of sugarcane, soybeans and wheat below. The staff need to check on the cattle herd and the pastured horses and make sure the goats are all right. After lunch, you can take the jeep down to the river to kayak, fish or to swim in the clear beautiful Paranapanema River. After dinner, you can mix some drinks and enjoy some music in the hammocks on the veranda. Day 4: You can ride with the cowboys as they herd the cattle to a fresh pasture, tag a newborn calf, or check the salt licks. If you want a break from the saddle the staff can provide a horse drawn buggy, jeep, or bicycle or just use the plain old shoe leather express. You can see what life is like on a farm. Here they want to show you the coffee plantation and they always have ongoing projects like planting trees, harvesting hay, remodelling a building, fixing fences or sorting the fish. After lunch, you can pick an activity: fish for tilapia or pacu in the stocked ponds, read a book, bike around the farm, or milk some cows by hand. If you like, you can visit one of the local towns, another farm, or just explore the countryside. After dinner, you can watch a movie or listen to music. They have Direct TV, CNN, ESPN, HBO, Cinemax and an Internet connection. Day 5: This is the day the hosts have tentatively planned for a longer ride (3-5 hours depending on pace and how long you stop). You ride in a big circle through the neighboring farms, all with crops or cattle different from Judy's, so you get to see something of the region and enjoy the beautiful countryside with its waterfalls, hills and old houses. This trip can also be done by pickup truck or cart for those who would rather not ride. After the ride you can relax at the house with a traditional outdoor churrasco (charcoal grilled cookout) and later watch the sunset from the hilltops and watch the lights of the neighboring towns come on in the distance. Day 6: This morning your hosts would like to take you hiking in the forest to the waterfall. The waterfall does not have a swimming hole, but it is has a sheer rock face and a fall of about 110 feet. If you bring your own gear you may rappel from the top or climb the face. You will get to see some of the native forest vegetation and, if you are lucky, maybe an animal or two. They are not abundant but guests have seen large lizards, armadillos, capivaras (capybaras, a large herbivorous rodent), a "bugio" (a Howler monkey) and even a spotted cat as well as raccoons, opossums and small deer. Birds are everywhere from tiny hummingbirds to large black vultures. After lunch you can fish in the stocked ponds and for dinner you can have fresh fish, drinks, and then a movie or a horse video. If you're not saddle sore by now, you can, of course, ride again. If you enjoy dressage, your hosts have a dressage trained Lusitano stallion available. Day 7: If you are the hands on type you can help with some of the real ranch work: sorting, vaccinating, branding, tagging, or deworming the sheep, goats, horses or cattle. In the afternoon you can take a trip to a neighboring town or other local attractions like an old suspension bridge or visit the local coffee museum or the artisan's association where you can purchase some local crafts. After a farewell dinner you can do whatever you choose to do: stargazing, make a campfire, mix some drinks, or just recount the week's adventures. Day 8: The hosts can help you plan for more travel in Brazil. This is a great opportunity, after learning some Portuguese and some Brazilian customs at the ranch, to continue to explore Brazil. You could catch a flight to Salvador to experience colonial Brazil, to Rio for some excitement in that beautiful city, to Pantanal to see the largest wetland habitat in the world, or to the spectacular Iguassu Falls on the border with Paraguay and Argentina. The islands of Fernando de Noronha (off the coast of N. Brazil) have some of the world’s best diving, with visibility reaching 100 feet, and Iguassu Falls has over 275 waterfalls and is over 2 miles wide! You could go to Manaus to see the Amazon river. If you just want to relax, though, it is a short trip by bus or car from Sao Paulo to some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil and the small colonial town of Parati or the vacation destination of Ilha Bela. If you visit Brazil for 2 weeks you can enjoy the ranch as well as see another part of this wonderful country, but either way you will have plenty of stories to tell about a truly unforgettable vacation! |
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| Minimum group size: | 1 |
| Maximum group size: | 12 |
| Ability description: | Beginner - Experienced |
| Type of ride: | Based trails with possibility of some dressage |
| Total riding time: | Up to 6 hours per day. |
| Departure dates: | All year round |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
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