Northeast Brazil is renowned for its beaches and colonial towns along the Atlantic Coast. The Sertão, the interior, is known for little else but its poverty and harsh living conditions. However, appearances are deceptive and the interior not only has an ancient history but is also home to some fantastic natural phenomena.
The accommodation of Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus in Boa Vista has comfortable rooms, a restaurant and guides to explore the surrounding tourist attractions. Boa Vista lies 186 kilometres west of João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba.
Why visit the boulders of Lajedo de Pai Mateus in Paraíba
The Cariri Region, in which the hotel is located, used to be home to, among others, the Cariri Indians. They inhabited the area for 10,000 years and were a tough tribe that for a long time succeeded in keeping out the Portuguese. Unfortunately, in the end they suffered the same destiny as the majority of Brazil's indigenous tribes and were wiped out.
The history and traditions of the Cariri Indians are visible in ancient rock paintings as well as in the shelters they used. One of these shelters, with various vague paintings, is Lajedo of Pai Mateus. Lajedo is the Portuguese word for "collection of stones", although here it is an otherworldly collection of eroded, granite boulders on the top of a hill. Similar sites are only found in Nigeria [Erongo Mountains] and Australia [Devil's Marbles].
Lajedo de Pai Mateus is not just a tourist site, or visited for spiritual experiences due to the high level of energy perceived here by many, but has also been the setting of numerous Brazilian movies, among which O Auto da Compadecida and Bye Bye Brazil.
Accommodation of Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus
The hotel is part of a cattle ranch and situated in the middle of the caatinga vegetation that typifies the Cariri and Sertão regions. Behind the restaurant, spread out almost full circle around the garden are a series of semi-detached accommodations.
Rooms can sleep up to 4 guests, with prices varying from 240 reais for 1 person [about 152 US dollars] to 420 reais for 4 persons; discounts may be possible when reservations are made. There is a total of 80 beds available.
The rooms are basic without artistic touches or refined decorations, but come with a fan, air conditioning, frigobar and reasonably sized private bathroom. There is neither a television nor telephone connection in the room. One of the hotel's largest attractions is its quietness without blaring TVs or radios.
Restaurant at Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus
The restaurant has long communal wooden tables and benches. The kitchen is open for lunch and dinner; breakfast is included in the accommodation. The dishes consist of local delicacies, organically farmed, such as bode à Cariri [goat from the region], carne de sol [sun-dried meat], galinha de caipira [free-range chicken] and homemade cheese. Furthermore, the menu offers a variety of salads, soups, pastas and desserts.
The communal area has hammocks, a billiard table, table tennis and a separate room with couches to watch television. The hotel is artistically decorated with wooden furniture and locally made handicrafts. Outdoors are a swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi.
Outdoor Activities around Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus
Guides are included in the price of the accommodation, since all surrounding sites have to be visited with a guide. At the time of writing there was one English speaking guide available. Those visiting the fazenda for a day trip pay 15-20 reais [about 9-12 US dollars] per person for a guide [10 reais for a group of 3 or more persons].
Among the day excursions are:
- Saca de Lã ["cotton bag"], rock formations.
- Sitio Manuel do Sousa, rock formations and rock paintings.
- Pedro do Calese, rock formations and rock paintings.
- Horseback riding on the fazenda.
- Watching the sun set at the boulders of Lajedo de Pai Mateus, truly a fabulous sight.
Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus – how to get there and how to pay
There is public transport available from João Pessoa to Boa Vista. On request the hotel can arrange transport to the fazenda, which is another 18 kilometres further down. Renting a vehicle [in João Pessoa] is recommended however, because it makes visiting the surrounding tourist attractions much easier.
Payment is in Brazilian reais, or cheques [Brazilians only]. The owners are currently working on the option of payment by credit card.
Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus to visit the interior of Brazil
The interior of Brazil is more than worth a visit. Hotel Fazenda Lajedo de Pai Mateus in the state of Paraíba is a comfortable accommodation from which to organise day excursions to nearby rock formations, rock paintings or the boulders of Pai Mateus. Other tourist attractions, farther into Brazil's interior, are the prehistoric carvings of Ingá and the dinosaur prints in Vale dos Dinosaurs near Sousa. Travellers who are more interested in the coast may enjoy a boat trip in Alagoas, tourist attractions in Sergipe or the colonial town of Salvador da Bahia.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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