White house with a brown tiled roof situated near a pond, surrounded by greenery and hills under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Ibiti Projeto

Between the gentle hills of the Mantiqueira mountain range and the Ibitipoca nature reserve lies one of Brazil's most ambitious regeneration projects: Ibiti Projeto. Across roughly 6,000 hectares of former pastureland, Brazilian entrepreneur Renato Machado has spent the decades since the 1980s building a reserve where nearly the entire area is now either regenerated or actively being reforested. At its heart is Engenho Lodge, a sugarcane fazenda built in 1715 and carefully restored in 2006, today home to eight suites, a restaurant and a spa within a historic manor house. For those who want to go even deeper, there's the small village of Mogol with its houses designed by local artists, or one of the remote outposts reachable only on foot, by bike or by 4x4. Amid waterfalls, natural pools and the fringes of the Atlantic rainforest, at Ibiti Projeto you experience conservation not as a concept, but as everyday life.

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Details

  • Country

    Brazil

  • Location

    Lima Duarte

  • Price

    Price on request

  • Best travel time

    June - September

Suites

At the heart of Engenho Lodge are eight bright, spacious suites within the historic manor house of the former Fazenda do Engenho - furnished with local craftsmanship, restored antiques and, in some cases, freestanding bathtubs overlooking the surrounding hills and the hotel's own lake. All beds are dressed in Egyptian cotton, and some bathrooms feature underfloor heating and copper showers. Travelling with family or friends, choose Casa Carlinhos, a private three-bedroom farmhouse just steps from the main house. Alternatively, stay in the village of Mogol in lovingly restored houses such as Casa Guimarães Rosa or the Humboldt Loft, or retreat to one of the remote outposts such as Eagle's Nest, reachable only on foot, by bike or on horseback.

Bright bedroom with a pink bedspread, wooden furniture, a hanging hammock chair, and an open door leading to a balcony with a scenic view.
Bright bathroom with a freestanding clawfoot bathtub positioned in front of a large window with sheer curtains, wooden countertop with a copper sink and round mirror on the left, and a toilet on the right.
Rustic duplex bedroom with wooden flooring, a bed with a red patterned bedspread, a green armchair, a striped rug, wooden staircase with railing, and a desk with mirror and chair in the background.
Outdoor bathtub and wooden bench on a wooden deck next to a stone wall with an overhead shower, surrounded by green hills under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Cuisine

Ibiti Projeto's kitchen relies consistently on what its own organic gardens and neighboring smallholder farmers provide - predominantly vegetarian, with fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit from the region. Guests staying at Engenho Lodge dine at the manor house restaurant overlooking the lake, while in the village of Mogol, the restaurant Yucca serves simple yet refined dishes. At the Engenho waterfall, refreshing caipirinhas and light snacks await right at the natural pools during day excursions.

A rustic outdoor buffet setup on a wooden terrace overlooking a green hilly landscape, featuring various foods, drinks, and decorative flowers.
Spacious dining room with a long wooden table set with green glasses and floral centerpieces, surrounded by white upholstered chairs, illuminated by a decorative chandelier and natural light from large stained-glass windows.
A man wearing a green cap and beige shirt washes fresh lettuce in a large white basin under a wooden outdoor shelter.
Cozy wooden terrace with tables and chairs under a rustic roof, set with candles and green glass holders, overlooking mountainous landscape at dusk.

Activities

Ibiti Projeto thrives on the diversity of its nature experiences: hiking, mountain biking and rides on Mangalarga and Anglo-Arabian horses lead through forests, to waterfalls and to white sandbanks along clear rivers. With a bit of luck, a guided tour brings you face to face with the endangered muriqui woolly spider monkeys, whose population is being actively reintroduced here, or you might spot one of the more than 350 bird species recorded in the reserve. An old outbuilding has been transformed into a spa whose treatments draw on herbs and plants from the reserve itself, while an open-air cinema and art installations scattered across the grounds provide unexpected moments. To understand the place even better, visit Muriqui's House, which Ibiti Projeto runs together with the Muriqui Institute of Biodiversity.

People practicing yoga on mats outdoors on a grassy hill at sunset with a large statue of a person playing the flute in the background.
A protected ibiti monkey climbing on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves in a natural forest setting.
A cozy spa room with a wooden floor, a comfortable cushioned chair, a massage table covered with a white sheet, and natural light coming through a window with green frames.
Aerial view of a lush forest landscape with large rocks and a small waterfall flowing through the greenery.

Location

Ibiti Projeto lies in the foothills of the Mantiqueira mountain range in southern Minas Gerais, bordering directly on Ibitipoca State Park, about a four-hour drive north of Rio de Janeiro. The nearest airport, Zona da Mata (IZA) near Juiz de Fora, is roughly two and a half hours away; alternatively, a private charter route connects São Paulo directly to the reserve in just 80 minutes of flight time. Its secluded setting amid forests, waterfalls and pastures makes Ibiti Projeto the ideal retreat for anyone wanting to experience Brazilian nature off the beaten path.

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Contact person

A man standing on a forest path surrounded by dense green foliage wearing outdoor clothing and binoculars around his neck.
Nils Lindhorst

Senior Travel Designer

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