We did not stay the night at the eco-farm as we had already secured lodging, but can comment on several aspects of our amazing visit: the tour/hike up, spending the afternoon at the farm, and the food and facilities. The day started with a hike up to the farm through the rainforest (about 2 hours), an extensive tour of the farm, a refreshing dip in the pool, and a fantastic lunch made with the farm's products.

Our tour guide, Michael at Paraty Explorer, was absolutely phenomenal. We really appreciated his knowledge of the area, cultural sensitivity, and great sense of humor as he ably guided us through the rainforest. The hike was relatively easy, and seemed to us to be suitable for all levels of hikers, as long as you take your time. We stopped often to appreciate the natural beauty (unbelievable!) and pester Michael with questions about the flora and fauna.

When we arrived at the eco-farm we went immediately to the pool for a refreshing dip. This was among the most beautiful pools we have ever seen. It was dug out of the natural stone and is supplied from a cool, clean mountain waterfall. It is surrounded on three sides by gorgeous indigenous flowers and orchids.

After our dip, we toured the farm extensively. It is operated solely by one extended family who were unbelievably hospitable and welcoming. During the tour we sampled the vegetation and experienced the rainforest through the eyes of true stewards of the forest. We tasted hearts of palm, sugar cane, banana, potato, manioc flour, beans, saffron and other spices, peppers, and orange limes picked right from small cultivated areas in the forest. We were able to ask many questions about the farming techniques that they used.

We returned back to the main lodge to eat a home cooked meal that incorporated many of the ingredients that we saw being cultivated. We found the kitchen and eating area to be charming and clean, even though they are right out in the open air. The meal was absolutely delicious and we were entertained by birds with shocking plumage that flew around in the distance.

Overall, we cannot recommend Paraty Explorer and the Eco-Farm visit enough. It was one of the most unique and rewarding travel experiences that we have had (and we've traveled across the world!).