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A Guest Home inside a mountain park preserve
in Araras – Petrópolis near
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Our Place

• Comfortable clean mountain air all year at an altitude of 1,100 meters (3,300 feet) at the base of 6,000-foot Maria Comprida (Long Tall Mary), one of Brazil’s highest and most vertical rounded peaks

• A non- smoking environment

• Homemade gourmet breakfasts featuring tropical fruits, homemade multigrain bread and pão de queijo (cheese breads), waffles, french toast, etc. Our cuisine has an innovative touch, combining traditional Brazilian dishes in creative vegetarian ovo-lacto style. When available, our other meals feature pastas, homemade wood-fired outdoor brick oven breads and pizzas, vegetarian moquecas, (traditional northeastern Brazilian dish), Brazilian cheeses and dairy products. Herbs come from our own garden, fruits and vegetables from the local fresh produce markets, in season. Each of your meals will be unique and delicious.

• Main house built with combination of natural local materials in classic style – Brazilian hardwood exposed beams and floors, carranca stone tile with embedded fossils. Entire house furnished in Brazilian colonial antique style

• Verandas with mountain views

• Three guest suites in our main house, each with its own private bath. Our Honeymoon Suite features a private veranda

We first visited the community of Araras in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in 2001 for a getaway weekend. With its towering peaks and breathtaking views, we knew immediately we wanted to live here. We found a beautiful spot just across this romantic bridge, and bought our land and started building in late 2003. We finished the house and chalet by mid-2005 – just in time to receive our first guests from England and France. Inspired by the romantic long green bridge leading up to our home, we named our place the Solar da Ponte Verde, or the Green Bridge House Lodge.  Many of our friends from all over the world who have visited us enjoyed our natural setting, hospitality, vegetarian cooking and non-smoking environment so much that they asked if they could send their friends to come visit as well.  From there we decided to prepare ourselves for this unique activity of hosting special people in our home.  

Since then we have received guests from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Italy, Netherlands, Panama, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. Our place has also been featured in various publications including Money Magazine as a retirement locale for the owners. We really look forward to extending our warm, personal style of hospitality to you.