Fazenda das Palmeiras

Brotas (25 minutes' drive) is a mid-sized town with supermarkets, shops, bars and restaurants. While you're here, swing by the Museu do Caipira, a free interactive museum that gives insights into the region's traditions via its smells, sounds and (yes, hungry reader) its tastes. The CEU observatory and planetarium in the north of the town are also worth a gander. Rather get out into the sticks? Viva Brotas eco park is a hub for flora and fauna (35 minutes from base or 10 minutes from Brotas). Check out its reptile centre, join a birdwatching tour, or take to the skies for yourself: ziplining, abseiling and a 60-metre free fall platform are all on hand here. There's also something called 'superbike': think a pedal-powered tour above the trees. Having glided (or plummeted, the choice is yours…) back to earth, you may well appreciate some explores at ground level. Recanto das Cachoeiras eco park (35 minutes) organises horseback rides through the varied landscape of this top-notch nature reserve. Out of the saddle, spectacular vistas from the park's viewing platforms mean there are plenty of photo-snapping opportunities here, too.