Cozy and charming rural brazilian retreat

Thank you for visiting my listing. Casa Tlalli ("Earth" in Nahuatl, an ancient Mexican language) is a 48 hectare farm situated in a beautiful hill overlooking Morro da Prata (Silver Mountain) in the Vale da Prata near the border of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

The concept. Tlalli is an on-going personal project. I am from Mexico, but having lived and worked in US for more than 2 decades, decided to buy the farm in order to get closer to the "earth". At Tlalli, I am looking to pay homage to the landscape and art.

The house. It is a large 3 bedroom home, flooded with light. One of the bedrooms has a long table to write and draw as well as a projector for viewing films in the evening. The walls and nooks are adorned with modern and indigenous Brazilian and African art; complemented by a library with titles in English/French/Spanish/German and even Chinese (love Mandarin). There is an ofuro, not square like the traditional Japanese style, but rounded, where you can sit in hot water overlooking the mountain.

We have a small garden that produces some condiments, lemongrass and my favourite, basil. We have some citrus and other fruit bearing trees (Kaki) and even a one lonesome grapevine that tends to yield quite acidic grapes, but some are good and they are natural, which is the best.

The surrounding area. The area is magic and a large draw as to why come here. We are in the Serra da Mantiqueira, known for being overflowing with water (you can learn more about the history and importance of the region searching for “Caminhos da Mantiqueira” – a documentary on the area). The land is 5km away from Mirantao, a small charming typical village of the interior of Brazil. You can take wood-carving lessons here, or just enjoy wonderful crepes from Leila’s restaurant – Minheiro Maneiro. 15kms you can also find Maringa, a surprisingly chic small village full of quaint restaurants & shops and quite a few artists. There is so much to enjoy, a good hike up Pedra Selada, spas nearby and even a Budhist temple – Dorje Chokhor Ling.

Transport. We are situated halfway between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, next to the first National Park in Brazil – Itatiaia, along one of Brazil’s main highways - Dutra. You have to then go over the mountains to Visconde de Maua and then another 45min to the land.

Truth be told, The location is not for everyone. We are 5 hrs from SP and/or 4.5hours from Rio. I, for one, find it amazing that so close to the city you can still find such pristine beauty. Tis beautifully isolated so you can hear yourself, your dreams, enjoy the brightness of a full moon or the clarity of an immense starred sky, where the Milky Way is so ever apparent and not some distant concept in an astronomy book.

We have a person that takes care of the house 1x a week and he will be available to answer your questions and hand you the keys in Mirantao. Further a cleaning lady can come as often as you want, she will also take any laundry for a very affordable price.

About Me: I moved to Brazil in '08 from NYC after working in Wall Street for some time. I love exploring our world, having lived in Mozambique, Sout Africa, Madagascar, India, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Brazil and the US; always looking for a new adventure. I have made Brazil my base and this home is my rural retreat where I can think, draw, write, design etc. I don't smoke and am always very respectful of others' homes.