For a long time, I had been working toward a partnership with Hotel Ponta de Inhambupe, a highly acclaimed boutique hotel in Baixio, Bahia. It would turn out to be one of the most unexpected hideaways I have ever been to!
After months of planning, the time finally came to pack the bags and set off for Ponta de Inhambupe. It would not be an ordinary trip — my family was with me. I was given the privilege of bringing them along to enjoy the holidays while I carried out the photo and film work for this paradise.
We arrived at night, and the charm of the reception was revealed to us right away: warm, welcoming lights embraced us in the middle of a crescent-moon night. The weather was very pleasant, around 24 degrees, and the first thing I did was order a coffee!
We waited for the staff to complete the check-in and headed to our room. A beautiful view of the pool and the sea was waiting for us — everything hyper-organized, impeccable; there is nothing to fault about the accommodation. The room gave off a unique, memorable scent, everything ready, and the children were super excited to explore it all! A perfect arrival. We were thrilled with our welcome.
Where the world slows down
There is a moment, when you arrive in Baixio, when you realize you left something behind on the road. It is not just the city — it is the rush, the noise, that invisible weight we carry without even noticing. Baixio takes that away from you with an almost magical gentleness.
For those who have never heard of it, it is a village in the municipality of Esplanada, on the Costa dos Coqueiros, the northern coast of Bahia, about 120 km from Salvador. But no number can explain what that place is. There are nearly 14 km of practically deserted beach, where often the only footprints in the sand were ours. White sand dunes gleaming in the sun, mangroves that guard a secret life, restinga scrubland, and five lagoons of water so crystal-clear they seem unreal. It is a Brazil we thought no longer existed.
And the hotel’s name is no ornament. Right there, where the land narrows and meets the Atlantic, lies Ponta de Inhambupe — the exact point where the fresh water of the Inhambupe River embraces the salt water of the sea. Keep that name in mind. It is the heart of this story, and it will come back later.
Hotel Boutique & Spa Ponta de Inhambupe belongs to Grupo Prima and is operated by Slaviero Hotéis. And I soon understood what makes a boutique hotel truly boutique: it is not luxury for luxury’s sake, it is intention. It is realizing that someone thought of every detail with how you would feel in mind. The right light at the right moment. The scent that greets you at the door. Silence as part of the service. Here, luxury is care.
The suite and the details that charm you
It was in the light of the next day that we truly understood where we were staying. The suite breathed the same soul as the place: wood, earth and sand tones, ventilation designed to let the breeze in, and that view of the pool and the sea that made it worth waking up early just to see.
But what really won me over were the small details — because that is where the soul of a boutique hotel lives. The amenities were inspired by the land itself: the coconut shampoo, with that scent that is already Bahia in the form of a perfume, turned an ordinary shower into a sensory memory. Every time I opened that bottle, it was as if the hotel told me again: relax, you are home. The girls loved every corner, explored everything, opened every drawer, tested every switch — and Cicinha, who notices everything, was enchanted by the care of the housekeeping, the linens, the scent of the sheets. Nothing there was by chance.
The first sunrise
I woke up before everyone else, as always. That photographer’s habit of not wanting to miss the first light of day — but I confess that, on that morning, it was not the work that got me out of bed. It was the desire to see.
I drew the curtain of the room slowly, almost afraid of breaking the spell, and Bahia gave me back one of those sunrises you keep for a lifetime: the sea in a still-sleepy blue, the pool mirroring the pink sky, the coconut palms cut out against the first light as if posing just for me. And that good, full silence, made of birdsong and wind, the kind the big city has already forgotten how to make.
Cicinha was still asleep, Mel curled up against her, and Marina was the first to wake up with me. The two of us stayed on the veranda, saying nothing, just looking. And there, with my daughter beside me and the day being born in front of us, something tightened in my chest in the best way. I understood that the next 16 days would not be about doing, they would be about being. Time to be together. Time to feel. Time to live slowly — and what a rare privilege that is these days.
The breakfast that became a ritual
There is breakfast, and then there is breakfast at Ponta de Inhambupe. This one deserves a chapter of its own, because it is not a meal — it is a ceremony of good living.
It is served at the Cambuí Gastronomia restaurant, in a dining room that opens onto a breathtaking veranda, with the pool, the coconut groves and the sea of Baixio right in front of you. The architecture was designed in wood and natural materials, with ventilation planned so the wind flows freely — so the breeze touches your face, the birds sing, and you realize the main soundtrack is nature itself. They call this philosophy slow living, and never has an expression made so much sense.
The moment we sat down came the ritual of the Oshibori — those cold, scented little towels to refresh your hands — along with a chilled fresh coconut. A small gesture, but one that says it all: here, you are expected, you are cared for. And then the table turned into a small spectacle of the senses. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the smell of baking bread and fresh flowers. Naturally leavened breads made in-house, tapiocas prepared on the spot, homemade cakes still warm, cuscuz with coalho cheese, functional juices made with native Bahian fruits. And what touched me most: much of it comes from small producers in Baixio itself — the artisanal cheeses, the fish, the fruit. You are not just eating well. You are tasting the place, supporting the local people, being part of it.
I had more than one coffee, of course — always. The girls devoured the fruit and the cakes, and Cicinha, with that calm smile of a morning with no set end, looked at me and said that breakfast alone had already been worth the whole trip. And keep in mind we still had two weeks ahead of us!
The heart of the hotel: the leisure area
If breakfast opened the day, it was in the leisure area that our family gathered the rest of the time. And what an area! The main pool is one of those you can spend hours in, with its edge blending into the landscape and the sea right behind it. But what saved many of our days was the children’s pool: a space designed for kids, shallow, safe, where Mel could play freely while we relaxed nearby without that worry in our hearts. Watching her splashing happily, shouting “look, daddy!” every two minutes, is priceless.
And there was a surprise that turned into a passion: the hotel gym. Cicinha, who likes to keep her routine even on holiday, fell in love with it. Well equipped, airy, with that feeling of training in a place that takes care of every detail — she came out renewed, at peace with her body and with the trip. I confess her nudging even dragged me there a few times, and I did not regret it!
After the swim, we would ease into the afternoon at the Pool Bar, connected to the pool and the garden. A cold drink in hand, and those snacks that make you sigh. The shrimp skewers became a house tradition for us — juicy shrimp, cooked just right, the kind that makes you ask for “one more round, please.” The girls nibbling, Cicinha by my side, the warm sun, the water in view. A simple moment of real holiday, the kind you do not even notice turning into the best memories.
A paradise that was also my work
I spent those days living a delicious dilemma: where does the family man end and the photographer begin? The truth is that in a place like this the two blend together, and thank goodness they do.
As I roamed the corners of the hotel with my camera — the gastronomy, the drinks, the architecture that converses with nature without shouting — I was not just working. I was trying to capture something almost impossible to photograph: the feeling. The way the late-afternoon light slides down the wood. How stone, wind and water seem to have agreed to live together there. Each click was, deep down, an attempt to keep that feeling forever. And the best part of all was knowing that, on the other side of the lens, Cicinha and the girls were right there nearby, enjoying every minute. Working surrounded by those I love, in that setting — there is no greater gift.
Our adventures
With 16 days, there was time to get to know Baixio and the region unhurriedly, the way we like it: letting each outing breathe. And here goes credit where it is due — almost everything is operated by Baixio Turismo, the hotel’s partner, with guides who know every inch of that nature and speak of it with a pride that moves you.
The lagoons and the 4×4 adventure to reach them
Of all the outings, the lagoons were perhaps the biggest surprise of the trip — and getting to them was already half the adventure. We climbed into a 4×4 and set off, and that is where the fun began: the vehicle bouncing along the sandy roads, going up and down dunes, dust rising, wind in our faces, the girls shrieking with excitement at every jolt as if they were on a theme-park ride. From the top of the dunes, the scene opened up — white sands as far as the eye can see, coconut palms, and far off the blue of the sea. I held the camera on one side and the joy on the other, not knowing where to look first.
And then, in the middle of that immensity of sand, there they appeared. There are five perennial lagoons — which never dry up — fed by 14 springs that rise from the land itself. The Blue Lagoon is a spectacle apart: surrounded by pristine white dunes, with water that changes tone with the sun, now turquoise, now a deep, breathtaking blue. The Panela Lagoon has that calm, serene mirror of water that reflects the whole sky. And the Green Lagoon, with its crystalline greenish waters, looks like something out of a painting, a color you swear does not exist until you see it with your own eyes.
The water is fresh, warm, soft — you never want to leave. And we did not. We would wade in slowly, lie down in a hammock stretched over the water and let time simply stop. The girls ventured onto stand-up paddleboards, fell off, laughed, climbed back on, insisted. Mel would hang from my neck, Marina challenged Cicinha to see who could balance longest. And I, in the middle of that almost unreal setting, thought that real happiness is just this: simple things, loved ones, and nature all around. We came back from that day with skin salty from the sea and sweet from the lagoon, exhausted and complete.
The Honey Route and the stingless bees
Another adventure that deeply moved the girls — and me — was the Honey Route, also on a thrilling 4×4 safari. You climb, feeling the dust and the anticipation, up to the top of Morro da Vista, where the lookout delivers a view that makes everyone fall silent for a second. From there, we headed to the meliponary, to get up close to the native stingless bees — here the species is the uruçu-nordestina, whose honey is light, rare, almost floral.
And it was there that one of those forever-keepsake moments happened: Mel, wide-eyed, watching the little bees up close without any fear, and Marina firing off a thousand questions, genuinely enchanted. We tasted honey straight from the hive, still warm, a flavor unlike anything we had ever experienced in our lives. And, as if that were not enough, the tour still ends with a dip in the Blue Lagoon. We came back in silence — that silence full of having lived something too beautiful to put into words.
The mangrove and the silence of the river
An entire day was given to the boat trip along the Inhambupe River. From the river’s mouth stretch more than 6 km of mangroves, and cruising through there for about an hour is to enter a world apart — an ancient place, full of hidden life, where the water lies mirror-still and the sound of the engine fades into the green. For me, a photographer, that mangrove was a gift: the light filtering through the roots, the infinite shades of green, a heron taking flight. But more than the photos, what stayed was the feeling of reverence. The mangrove has a stillness that commands respect, and we crossed it almost in a whisper, like someone entering a sacred place.
Where the river meets the sea
And then came the most special moment of all: the swim at Ponta de Inhambupe, exactly where the fresh water of the river meets the salt water of the sea. I cannot quite explain it, but that place has a different energy — maybe it is the meeting of the waters, maybe it is the absurd beauty of the coconut palms against the setting sun, maybe it is all of it together.
The four of us stayed there, holding hands, feeling the warm current of the river on one side and the coolness of the sea on the other, laughing for no reason, Mel shouting with joy, Marina trying to keep her balance, Cicinha with the look of someone completely at peace. And I, in the middle of my three girls, looked around and felt that rare certainty: it is here, it is now, it is this. Life got it exactly right. It is no coincidence that this is the landscape that gives the hotel its name — because whoever has lived this meeting never forgets it.
The acarajé and the soul of Baixio
And as it could not be missing in Bahia, we ate acarajé! The real thing, the Bahian way, with that hot dendê oil that only those born of the land know how to make, the crust crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cicinha is in love with it, and I am not far behind — we ate it facing the sea, making a mess of ourselves and laughing, as happy as children.
We also took the chance to wander around the village of Baixio, with no itinerary, just letting ourselves drift. We got to know a bit of the crafts, exchanged a few words with the locals, felt the slow, generous rhythm of those easy-smiling people. Because Baixio is not just landscape — it is people. And it is impossible to leave without carrying a piece of that hospitality stuck to your heart.
A day just for them at the Spa
There was a day that was theirs, only theirs. While I got ahead with some work, Cicinha, Marina and Mel gave themselves over to a day at the hotel Spa. They came back as different people — light, renewed, with that glow of someone who has been lovingly cared for, recounting every detail of the experience.
And I, looking at them, thought that this is exactly what we work so hard for. Seeing my wife and my daughters relaxed, pampered, smiling for no reason — that does not fit in any photo I could take, in any portfolio. It is the kind of image recorded only in the heart. They deserved it so much. Everyone deserves to stop like that, every now and then.
The flavors of Cambuí
Back at the hotel, dinners at Cambuí Gastronomia were always a highlight of the day. The name comes from the cambuí, an exotic, rustic little plant typical of Baixio, with sweet little fruits — and the cuisine is like that, a tribute to the land. Contemporary, delicate, with regional nuances, and much of the ingredients coming from the hotel’s own organic garden.
The house’s flagship dish is the Camarão Ponta de Inhambupe, served with coconut ribbon rice and toasted coalho cheese — and I guarantee, we had seconds without ceremony. But the one that stole the show one night was the moqueca: that clay pot arriving at the table still bubbling, the smell of dendê and coriander rising, the tender fish swimming in coconut milk, the pirão on the side. Food that warms the soul, the kind you eat slowly because you want to make it last. Cicinha, with her demanding Bahian palate, approved with her eyes closed.
And the desserts, my goodness! After a dinner like that we would swear we could not manage it, but we always could. Sweets that married the best of Bahia with a contemporary touch — tropical fruits, cocada, that hint of coconut that is in everything around here, presented with a care that made you sorry to spoil them. The girls fought over the last spoonful, and I, of course, always gave in. The freshest seafood, dishes plated so beautifully it almost felt a shame to break them apart — but we broke them apart, and we did so happily.
The nights in Baixio
If the days in Baixio are of adventure and sun, the nights have a charm all their own — quieter, more intimate. The afternoon fades, the sky empties of light and fills with stars, the kind the big city never lets us see. The only sound left is the sea breaking in the distance and the wind passing through the coconut palms. It is a pleasant darkness, unhurried, that invites you to dine slowly and talk at length.
On one of those nights, we went out to dine at the Beija-Flor restaurant, at Pousada Aldeola — the sister inn, right nearby, also operated by Slaviero, facing the sea of Baixio. And it was a night to remember. The house specialty is the moqueca, but what dictated our craving that night were the pizzas, famous throughout the region. And believe me, they earned that fame: dough baked just right, crispy crust, fresh ingredients, that pizza made with care that arrives hot at the table. Mel and Marina went wild — because a child, in the end, loves a pizza in any paradise in the world! Cicinha and I still nibbled on the more regional flavors, and between one slice and another we laughed for no reason at all.
It was a simple, perfect night: the family gathered at a table by the sea, the warm breeze, the good food, the easy laughter. The kind of night you do not even want to end, and that stays warm in memory long afterward.
What we take with us from Baixio
Sixteen days flew by, as always happens with good things — and this was one of the best. I photographed a paradise, it is true, and I left with a body of work that fills me with pride. But if you ask me what I really brought back from Baixio, it will not be on any memory card.
I brought back Mel’s laughter in the children’s pool and where the river meets the sea. The taste of warm honey straight from the hive in my daughters’ mouths. The unhurried breakfasts at Cambuí, with the breeze coming in through the veranda. The shrimp skewers by the pool, the sunsets holding hands, the scent of the coconut shampoo that even today takes me back there. Cicinha’s calm gaze, which I had not seen like that in a long time, coming out renewed from the gym or the spa. I brought back the rare and precious certainty that we were completely present — together, whole, happy.
Baixio was, indeed, an encounter with peace. And Hotel Boutique & Spa Ponta de Inhambupe was much more than a backdrop: it was the embrace that framed this story our family will carry forever.
We will be back. Of that I am certain. Because there are places you visit — and there are places that come to live inside you.
