Features

Ecotourism in North East Brazil

Gerard Hancock discovered an ecotourism gem in North East Brazil - a tiny island called Cashew Island where everything is low key and very slow!

“Laid-back” was an expression invented with the Brazilians in mind and to maximize this unique atmosphere it’s best to adopt a similar attitude while you’re there. “Tudo feito na hora” they say in the great restaurants you can find with a little bit of local knowledge. “Everything made on the hour” is supposed to mean “straight away” but they cover themselves by not saying which hour! Fresh grilled fish like you’ve never tasted before, but you might want to take advantage of the hammocks in the shade outside while you wait. Drink the “Brahma” local beer chilled to near freezing while you’re swinging in that hammock. You might even want to order a plate of prawns to go with it to keep you going while cook does whatever he does which takes so long to grill a fish. This is the way to go throughout the Brazilian Northeast but especially so on Ilha do Caju – Cashew Island, in the Delta das Americas. Don’t let the disclaimer you sign when you arrive put you off. OK, so you’re a million miles from the nearest medical care but it’s worth it for the experience. This privately owned eco-reserve is a mixture of what first looks like the comfort you would associate with the four-poster beds provided in the simple but tasteful semi-detached chalets but which soon turns into a closer contact with nature than you might have anticipated.