Authenticity is the world's greatest luxury and few places can deliver the sensation quite like Brazil's picturesque and historic Bahia state. Among the most singular spots is Trancoso's hilltop Quadrado, a grassy, tranquil colonial town square overlooking the Atlantic ocean and enjoying UNESCO protection.
Half UXUA's casas here date back hundreds of years to the village's founding. They were restored by designer Wilbert Das in collaboration with local artisans using traditional techniques and reclaimed materials. These casas each have a soul, with legends of family histories, every small detail crafted by caring hands. Adding to the enchantment is a rustic beach lounge immersed in mangroves, the UXUA Vida Spa, al fresco Quadrado dining and friendly 5-star service delivered by the welcoming people of Trancoso.
UXUA is not a hotel. It's an experiment, created to make positive impacts, elevate local craft traditions, encourage progressive working practices and education, increase social mobility and give visibility and support to our Native American neighbors, all while promoting environmental conservation.
Thousands of small details executed with care give UXUA its identity. Furniture, decor, lighting and fixtures are one-of-a-kind, organic creations of designer Wilbert Das, handmade at the hotel by native artisans ranging from fishermen to Pataxó Indians. Antiques and art are sourced locally. International creatives living at UXUA have contributed via theArtist In Casa residency to the studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom casas.
Artist Studio
Since Trancoso was rediscovered by the world (by wandering hippies actually) in the 1970's, many international artists have relocated here. Estúdio was envisioned as a perfect retreat for one of them. It’s an airy 1-bedroom studio with abundant space for living and creating. An entire wall opens to a vast garden patio, perfect for relaxing or quiet contemplation among nature.
Estúdio has a wonderful sense of open space, Rustic local accents, sturdy furniture, antiques and art merge harmoniously. Traditional burnt cement floors complemented by a spectacular indoor/outdoor bathroom featuring a vertical garden, sinks hand carved from tree trunks found in the UXUA garden and double-wooden shower heads are some of the house's features.
Casa Seu Joao
1-bedroom Garden, spacious patio, outdoor shower, bathroom with interior garden, garden view kitchen.
What at first looks like a traditional fishermen's bungalow transforms upon entering into a gleaming, bright hideaway. An entire wall opens revealing a lush private courtyard, with wooden decks around a swimming pool with hydro-massage Jacuzzi, outdoor shower and rustic pergola. Inside an open-air bathroom features sunken shower/bath and sinks carved from tree trunks. Check all the boxes epitomizing the perfect Bahian lifestyle: bringing what's outdoors to the indoors, and then back again.
Casa do Lago
3-bedroom lake view, swimmable lake, large outdoor verandah, dining and living area, social kitchen.
This spectacularly unique casa is our largest and most recent, completed in the final months of 2020. Even while located deep in our gardens it receives an abundance of sunlight. Built from reclaimed woods, it replaces a smaller fisherman home and pond which UXUA's founders dreamed for years of upgrading with modern technology to keep the waters in perfect ecological balance.
Designer Wilbert Das used reclaimed wood from abandoned farms to construct this re-interpretation of the Brazilian colonial style, emphasizing rusticity and comfort. The upstairs master suite is UXUA's largest, enjoying a private lounge / terrace. Hundreds of unique design touches standout, as do the Brazilian art, antiques and design pieces from the exclusive UXUA D.A.S. collection, including the original Poltrona-U, recipient of a 2020 A+ Architizer design award for residential seating.
Beach Time
Trancoso’s eight beaches spread across 24 kilometers of pristine coastline, nestled under towering cliffs or alongside Atlantic rainforest and mangrove. These perfect stretches of sand are easily reachable from the Quadrado by foot, bicycle or horseback:
BARRA DO RIO TRANCOSO
This is the smallest and closest of the beaches to the Quadrado, and yet it feels like one of the most remote. A 500-meter stretch of silky white sand, this beach offers thick, privacy-enhancing mangroves, and breathtaking views of the juncture where ocean and Trancoso River meet and mingle. Best of all, it’s home to UXUA Praia Bar.
RIO DA BARRA
Calm, serene and peaceful, Rio da Barra marks where the Atlantic Ocean and Barra River meet. Only four kilometers from UXUA, this beach is perfect for inveterate sunbathers or nature lovers keen to explore the virgin bush along the Barra River by canoe.
NATIVOS
Social and vibrant, Praia dos Nativos (aka Natives Beach) is the “bubbly little sister” to its neighbor, Rio da Barra. Although this 3-km-long inlet boasts an abundance of natural beauty – pristine mangroves, hundreds of coconut trees and lavish coral reefs – Nativos is also home to beach bars only meters before the beach meets the Trancoso River. These bars lure visitors, among who are also sports lovers who cherish the regular winds, which aid in any kite and wind-surfing efforts.
COQUEIROS
Sporty types will love this beach, where 400 meters of white sand and dense mangrove swamps prove conducive to soccer, strand-tennis and, of course, beach volleyball. Tidal pools formed by reefs among the emerald-colored waters and colorful corals up the dramatic factor for sunbathers more intent on admiring the local scenery.
RIO VERDE
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but with its coral-dotted waters, shallow lagoon and lush vegetation, this beach can be considered the “pretty one” of the family. Only 2 kilometers south of the village, Rio Verde can boast of few cottages and is bordered by the river of the same name. Because of its proximity to the river, lush flora and fauna await intrepid hikers who manage to venture beyond the sands.
PONTA DE ITAPOROROCA
Because of its secluded location, this is known as a great walking destination. A long stretch of sand without huts of any kind joins turquoise waters and sparse vegetation, meaning little shade for beach-goers. A tip: bring plenty of sunscreen.
PATIMIRIM
Where to go when a little “alone time” is called for? This almost deserted swathe of sand punctuated by wildflowers will probably fit the bill. The only companions may be the creatures you find lurking underneath the stones on the beach.
ITAQUENA
This is the surfers’ choice, thanks to Itaquena’s reputation for generously sized waves. About 5 km from UXUA, this beach is often deserted, save for the cajueiros – trees of Brazilian origin that grow the world-famous caju (cashew) nut.
Art Scene
After its founding by Portuguese Jesuits in the 1500's, for centuries Trancoso was largely forgotten, inhabited by only a small native population never topping 300 and shrinking steadily by the late 20th century. It was hippies and artists who rediscovered Trancoso in the 1970's, many settling here, reenergizing the tiny fishing village with their creativity and gaining an affectionate nickname from locals: biribandos.
The biribandos made great cultural contributions and helped form Trancoso's preservation movement. It's in honor of this heritage that we created the Artist in Casa program. Artists from around the world live at UXUA while creating objects expressing personal style and technical skill, but using local inspiration and materials.