Etnia Pousada & Boutique

Up north in Bahia is where you’ll find the wilder, rougher side of Brazil — which for anyone bored of the beach scene in Rio is not a warning but a positive enticement. Trancoso was one of the prototypical fishing-villages-turned-hideaways, and there’s still plenty of that mellow bohemian vibe about it. Which Etnia Pousada trades upon quite liberally.

Far-flung though it may be, Etnia is owned by a pair of Italian expat hipsters, who lend their creation a certain easy cosmopolitanism. Rooms are themed after classic destinations, from Goa to Marrakech to Kyoto, and incredibly they manage to be tasteful about it, getting the blend between kitsch and authenticity exactly right.

Ultimately though the style is somewhat beside the point. What counts here is the atmosphere (unrelentingly mellow), as well as the environment — surrounded by tall trees, you’re comfortably secluded, with even the beach a good ten minutes away. Enjoy the silence at the poolside, or a massage in the Etnia’s mini-spa. Or else check out the old town of Trancoso — while certainly not a resort town it is a getaway for a lot of discerning Brazilians, and the Etnia’s antique store joins a number of surprisingly upscale shops in the old town center.

Text Courtesy of Tablet Hotels