COFFEE BEANS & CAIPIRINHAS

Rio is quite simply one of the world’s most beautiful and iconic cities, which wears its uniqueness proudly on its sleeve. Take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for sweeping views over the city and its coastlines, and relax on the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Learn how to make feijoada (a hearty, traditional meat-and-bean stew which is the national dish of Brazil), and enjoy an exclusive dining experience at the renowned Cipriani restaurant at Belmond Hotel Copacabana, where you can take a seat at the private Chef’s Table in the heart of the kitchen. Have a gourmet taster menu tailored to you, such as scallop and crab au gratin with asparagus, a carpaccio of wagyu beef and cannolo di cioccolato, accompanied by wine and champagne.    The elegant Hotel Santa Teresa MGallery by Sofitel sits in exotic gardens in the trendy neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, surrounded by chic restaurants, galleries and boutiques. Have dinner at the hotel’s Restaurant Térèze, one of the best restaurants in Rio, and enjoy the panoramic city vistas.

A wander along Paraty’s cobbled streets, outside your charming hotel, Casa Turquesa, will reward you with colonial mansions, galleries showcasing local artists and some fine restaurants. Around Paraty, the verdant mountains frame beautiful bays, with numerous unspoilt and secluded beaches and fishing villages along the coast. Take a boat to the island of Catimbau, for a fresh seafood lunch at a restaurant built into the rocks. Paraty is a beautiful spot to indulge in a cooking class so you can learn how to create your new favourites. We also recommend a trip to a cachaça distillery, as this is one of the historic cachaça-producing regions of Brazil. This distilled spirit, made from sugarcane, has become the national drink, and is exclusively produced in Brazil (there is even a National Cachaça Day), and it is also an essential ingredient in the equally famous caipirinha cocktail. The distilleries, or cachaçarias, are often on farms with restaurants where you can sample delicious regional dishes as well as cachaça.

Salvador da Bahia is UNESCO World Heritage-listed for a reason – marvel at the brightly-coloured houses, the Baroque churches with their gold touches, the Portuguese colonial architecture, the attractive squares and cobblestoned streets. Its Afro-Caribbean culture is alive and kicking, as is the arts scene, and, unsurprisingly for Brazil, the coastline around Salvador is rather special too.   The lovely Villa Bahia is in the heart of the city, in the historic Pelourinho district, and happens to be home to one of Salvador’s top restaurants. Visit the bustling market for seafood, vegetables and tropical fruit, and enjoy a cooking demonstration with a local expert chef. Discover how Bahian cuisine, such as moqueca (a fish stew) takes its influences from African and Portuguese culture, learn how to make a caipirinha the Bahian way, and savour the delicious specialities.

Trancoso is an attractive clifftop fishing village with clusters of colourful houses and a main square, Quadrado, whose whitewashed church overlooks the ocean. Have dinner here, feasting on fresh fish caught that day, accompanied by local musicians. There’s plenty more food to enjoy at your beautiful hotel, UXUA, over the next few days, as you wake up to a delicious Bahian breakfast and learn how to make traditional local dishes with the hotel’s chef in your casa’s private kitchen, such as frutos do mar with black rice and the ubiquitous spicy pimento dressing, and you’ll also get to enjoy authentic Trancoso-style meals and cool down with a Trancoso iced tea, made with camomile flower, passionfruit, honey and cinnamon. Those with a sweet tooth will also love making chocolate with fresh cacao from UXUA’a garden, and Bahia’s signature dessert, sweet coconut cocada, made with homegrown coconuts. Mix up a perfect caipirinha with the bar staff to wash it all down with. The Bahian coastline, with its endless stretches of sand, beg to be explored (an ideal way to work off all that food and drink!). Go swimming and snorkelling in the pristine waters, or simply relax on the beach.

Cosmopolitan Sao Paulo is also an attractive cultural melting pot, with several gourmet restaurants, trendy bars and arts venues, as well as historic churches and houses. Sao Paolo’s foodie credentials are reflected in your hotel here, Emiliano, in the beautiful Jardins district, which has a renowned Italian restaurant. We also recommend dinner at D.O.M., also in Jardins, which is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the world, where you can savour exquisite, innovative cuisine.