Ibiti Project

Just a 4 hour drive from Rio lies a true Brazilian secret. Ibiti Project (formerly Reserva / Comuna de Ibitipoca) is a 6000-hectare reserve, set in the foothills of the Mantiqueira mountain range, home to one of South America’s finest country hotels. This utterly inspiring conservation and sustainability project has at its heart the protection of local communities and culture, rural regeneration, reforestation, rewilding of native species – especially muriqui woolly spider monkeys and tapirs – and the creation of wildlife corridors.

There are 3 very different accommodation concepts across the reserve.

Ibiti Village – Mogol – has 5 very beautiful and characterful traditional houses dotted around the small hill side community – Guimarães Rosa and Thomas Sowell are large, both with 2 bedrooms each; Wangari Maathai with 6 individual en suite rooms; Freud and Humboldt Loft are smaller houses ideal for couples. Ibiti Village has a large reception area including games room, 19thC Steinway piano for recitals, shop and cafe Gaia. Downstairs there is a beautiful spa, small swimming pool, gym and cinema. The village’s main restaurant is vegetarian/vegan Yucca just up the hill.

9 kms from Village is the sophisticated Engenho Lodge – a restored 18th-century farmhouse with gorgeous rooms, decorated with exquisite tapestries – and the private 3 bedroom Casa Carlinhos, both located on the site of the old Fazenda do Engenho (sugar cane farm). Facilities include a dedicated spa, where the massage oils are 100% vegetable based and many are made from herbs, plants and essences from the local area. Daily activities include a morning yoga class and guided excursions exploring the expansive landscapes of the reserve on foot, or – charged extra – on horseback, by state of the art electric bikes and buggies, or 4×4 vehicles.

‘Remote’ comprises 3 wonderful rustic houses, Spinoza, Areião Epicuro and Isgoné, set in stunning locations and ideal for those seeking privacy and a close connection with nature.

All the accommodation options allow exploration of any number of pristine waterfalls, caves, sand dunes and the surrounding Atlantic rainforest with its lush vegetation of wild orchids, bromeliads, native kapok trees and wildlife, including colourful toucans, chattering monkeys and the more elusive wild jaguars, pumas and maned wolves.

A not to miss visit is Muriqui House, rewilding and conservation in action with the largest primate of the Americas, the beautiful and critically threatened woolly spider monkey. This project run with the Muriqui Biodiversity Institute (MIB) achieved the birth of the first baby muriqui in captivity in the world!

At Mogol additional options including Life School – similar to Green School – for local children, and also open to guests’ children for a fee. Next to the church, one-time world mountain bike champion Miguel Giovannini runs the bike workshop, from where he and his sons take guests out on 300kms of trails.

Senderos Soul

There is so much positive energy and eco-inspiration going on at this private reserve a few hours north of Rio that it can make you dizzy. Theirs is a unique recipe of conservation, art, sustainability and rural regeneration – and for those lucky enough to visit, adventure with exceptional hospitality. Stunning natural beauty - mountains, waterfalls, rivers and forests - is shown off to its best with love by charming, proud local guides. Guests stay in beautifully restored country accommodation and enjoy deeply nourishing organic, wood cooked Mineiro cuisine. Ibitipoca is many things, a beautiful high end country hotel as well as a call to action and an experimental conservation and community space exploring a more sustainable future. It’s a truly heady mix, a tiny world of its own, a rare thing where beauty shines brightly from both within and without.

- Simon, Senderos

Key Facts

No. of rooms: 24 rooms and suites, in houses spread across the expansive reserve.

Room Categories:
Engenho Lodge: 8 beautiful, large suites with king size or twin beds and ensuite bathrooms (shower and deep roll tub) with heated floors, air conditioning, heating and mod cons such as iPod docks and personalised Havaianas. Private rental – guests also pay 50% of unoccupied rooms.

Casa Carlinhos: 3 large suites with king size beds, ensuite bathrooms (shower and tub) with heated floors, air conditioning and heating, shared living room and kitchen with wood burning stove. The largest suite has a private outdoor hot tub. Meals served at Engenho Lodge. Private rental – guests also pay 50% of unoccupied rooms.

Humboldt Loft (Mogol): One room open-plan apartment with queen size bed, sofabed, living room, kitchen with wood burning stove. Connected, external bathroom with shower and tub. Terrace with hammock and stunning views. Ideal for couples or family (max 4 people). Meals are served at the vegetarian Yucca restaurant.

Freud Loft, (Mogol): The only exception to Comuna’s otherwise minimalist style interiors, with furniture and decor inspired by the psychoanalyst. One bedroom, queen size bed, separate living room with wood burning stove. External bathroom. Heated floors. Ideal for couples (max 3 people). Meals are served at the vegetarian Yucca restaurant.

Wangari Maathai 1-5, (Mogol): 5 suites available independently of each other, with Wangari 1 and Wangari 3 are slightly larger and Wangari 3 has a verandah with hammock and views. Queen size bed in each room, ensuite shower bathroom. Ideal for couples. Meals are served at the vegetarian Yucca restaurant.

Guimarães Rosa, (Mogol): Largest and most upscale of the Mogol houses for private rental with 2 floors, each with a large suite with queen size bed and bathroom with shower and underfloor heating. Shared combined living room and kitchen. Ideal for families. The upstairs room also has a Victorian bathtub, terrace with hammocks and superb views. Meals are served at the vegetarian Yucca restaurant. If just 2 guests, they also pay 50% of the unoccupied room.

Thomas Sowell (was ‘Tirandentes’, Mogol): Large house for private rent with 2 large suites, one with a balcony and bathtub, both with underfloor heating in the bathrooms; and common living area: living room, dining room and kitchen. Meals are served at Yucca restaurant, if just 2 guests, they also pay 50% of the unoccupied room.

Isgoné (Remote): House located at the highest point at the Reserve, 1,500m, with stunning 360° views. The one room includes a queen size bed, seating area, small kitchen, wood burning stove. No electricity. External ‘open-air’ bathroom and separate outside bathtub. Meals are served at the nearby Garnet House or at Isgoné. An overnight is necessary in Mogol before and after. Accessible only on foot, by bike, on horseback or by helicopter.

Areião Spinoza (Remote): House with 2 suites, one with queen size bed and sofa bed, one with 2 single beds (max 4 people), shared bathroom with shower plus outside tub, shared living room and kitchen with wood burning stove. Solar powered electricity for lights and charging equipment. Meals served in a neighbouring house or in the house’s own kitchen. If just 2 guests, they also pay 50% of the unoccupied room. Accessible only on foot, by bike, 4×4 or helicopter.

Areião Epicuro, (Remote). Isolated house in the same area as Spinoza. One large room includes the bedroom with 1 queen size and 1 sofa bed (max 4 people), living room and kitchen with wood burning stove. No electricity. External bathroom with bathtub. Meals served in a neighbouring house or in the house’s own kitchen. Accessible only on foot, by bike, 4×4 or helicopter.

Facilities: Engenho features a spa with alfresco hydro pool, wood-fired sauna and range of plant-based treatments, also a courtyard dining room, living room with piano and fireplace, external eating area, separate jacuzzi and sauna. At Mogol village there is a vegetarian restaurant, a small spa and a cafe.

Cuisine: Meat (except beef) and freshwater fish are served at Engenho and Remote restaurants, while Yucca restaurant at Mogol serves only vegetarian food. Snacks served during the activities are plant-based.

Internet: Complimentary WiFi is available in all properties except Isgoné and Epicuro.

Excursion details: min / max pax: 1 walking tours daily. 10 different walking / biking / riding circuits to choose from through breathtaking landscapes. See “Rates Include” below.

Dates of operation: All year.

Rates* from: (in 2023) BR$2,200/night per double room (Spinoza and Epicuro) and BR$2,700/BR$3,000 night per double room (Humboldt and Freud). Rates apply for stays Sunday to Thursday – add R$300 and R$200 respectively for weekend stays. Casa Carlinhos and Guimaraes Rosa are only available for private groups, or for couples or families who pay for 50% of the value of the rooms they don’t occupy; the same applies to stays at Engenho from Thursday to Sunday. Where triple occupancy is possible, the 3rd person pays 30% on top of the room rate rate, single occupants pay 20% less than room rate.

*For full rates see Gallery and Resources box below.

Rates include: Full board (3 meals a day, soft drinks, morning yoga, 1 guided walking tour daily, stand-up paddling. Alcoholic drinks, transfers and other activities such as massages and spa treatments are charged extra, as are excursions in 4×4 vehicles, electric bikes and electric buggies.

Min. age: None

Minimum stay: Normally 3 nights (longer during public holidays). 2 night stays on request only.

Senderos recommends: Stay as long as you can. It will never be enough. 3 nights min, no max

Affiliations: Remote Latin America, Regenerative Travel, Bee + Hive, Conde Nast, Brazilian Luxury Travel Association, SUL Hotels

Awards:
2019 finalist at the WTTC Tourism of Tomorrow Awards in the Investing In People category.
2017 Nominated for PURE Award

Stories:

Senderos stories celebrate the positive impact that sustainable and regenerative tourism can bring to destinations, communities and the environment.

Click here to hear the founders story and the rewilding efforts at Ibiti Project.

“The moment we began to plant trees as part of the reforestration effort, the land dropped dramatically in value. I quickly realised that replanting forests on it’s own was not enough. For the region to thrive, and for land to be protected, the reserve also needed to be a social and cultural initiative.”

Sustainability

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Reimagine have long been the watch words here. Some projects – too numerous to all list here – include

Conservation and rewilding (the crown jewel of which is the endangered Muriqui spider monkey)
Rural regeneration at the village of Mogol
Solar power and mineral water from pure water sources within the reserve; guests are welcomed with bespoke ceramic water bottles.
Walk, cycle or ride a horse to explore. Guests who drive their car within the reserve are charged an ‘environmental fee’, which is donated to the Zero Footprint tree-planting project.
Most of the organic produce for the restaurants comes from the reserve itself. They do not serve red meat or saltwater fish to reduce their environmental footprint and in Mogol the restaurant serves delicious vegan cuisine only.

Ibiti Project is a member of B Corp since 2020. More on environmental projects.

We base our work on one goal from the Agenda 21: “embrace sustainability to change the direction of environmentally predatory and socially exclusionary global economic growth”. We reflect on global issues and act locally to spread a collective consciousness that the future depends on each one of us.

Need to know:

There are different standards of comfort, style and facilities; the 2 properties Engenho and Carlinhos are luxurious, the Remote houses are rustic and minimalist, while the Village options are somewhere in between. Charm is standard at all. Please ask us for more details. We have videos of all the properties and have visited them all.
Delicious, authentic Brazilian cuisine and meals can be served in a choice of 2 restaurants (the one at Mogol village is vegetarian), or as unforgettable alfresco picnics around the reserve.
Ibitipoca is a very special place to stay, but it also has a wider purpose – to educate guests about better, greener ways to live.
Having said that time strappped guests can arrive by private plane or helicopter. Helipads close to Engenho and Mogol.
Transport to and around Ibitipoca isn’t included in the rates. Private transfer or car hire (car tax in place) should be added to the cost, along with the hire of electric bikes, horse riding or 4×4 vehicles if you want to make even more of your time at Comuna.
At Mogol, Life School – similar to Green School – is for local children, and also open to guests’ children for a fee. Kids learn in a hands-on way, focusing on the flora and fauna around them, from cooking to tree planting or joining the team of biologists studying the resident northern muriqui spider monkeys. The idea of Life School is to teach the kids how to be better global citizens and green entrepreneurs, respecting the environment and creating happy people!

Perfect for:

Romantic stays, family groups and others interested in groundbreaking environmental and community projects, as well as seeing one of Brazil’s most beautiful hidden gems.

Getting there

Comuna do Ibitipoca is a private forest reserve in the Mantiqueira Mountains near Lima Duarte, in southeast Minas Gerais.

By Road

It's a scenic 4 hour drive from Rio, or 1.5- 2 hours from Juiz de Fora.

By Air

Nearest airport: Rio de Janeiro (4 hrs), Juiz de Fora (2 hrs), or arrive by private plane/helicopter to the private air strip.

Gallery & Resources

Follow this link to Senderos Resources for Ibitipoca for access to

Images, our selection
Fact sheets
Presentations
Rack rates
Excursion lists
…and other useful information.

Ibitipoca also have their own Image Library.

Weather

The climate is one of dry winters (June – Aug) with temperatures between 15°C and 20°C during the day (5-10°C at night) and in summer (Dec – Feb) 25-35°C (15-20°C at night), with frequent summer rains.