Uxua

Nine cool casas concealed in a glorious tropical garden, overlooking trendy Trancoso's village green, and 10 minutes from the beach

When Dutchman Wilbert Das first came to Trancoso in 2004, he immediately knew he wanted to settle in Bahia's most colourful and bohemian paradise. His initial, rather humble plan, was to transform one of the 15th-century fishermen’s cottages overlooking the village square into a private retreat. But, as you'd expect from the creative director of Diesel Jeans, this quickly became more ambitious. Das realised he could help preserve historic Trancoso by expanding his project to include 2 more Quadrado-facing houses and several other buildings scattered nearby. And his insistence on recycled materials, and tenacity in the sourcing of Brazilian vintage furniture, was fundamental to keeping the project in harmony with the local environment.

The end result? A discreet and quintessentially Trancosan hotel: just 9 casas with the opportunity to self cater or be given the 5-star treatment. Artists seeking a working retreat, celebs seeking seclusion, a family seeking a cultural seaside getaway or lovers seeking a haven will all be fans. UXUA – pronounced ooosh-uw-a – is fab.

Highs

• Enchanting location, right on the Quadrado village green, steps from Trancoso's restaurants and boutiques
• The happy spirit of the previous owners – a hippy Swiss couple – still presides
• Ethical tourism: this is a genuine eco resort thanks to its organic construction and celebration of all things recycled, vintage and local
• The stunning pool, clad in aquamarine aventurine gemstones, which are believed to have healing powers
• The UXUA beach bar, in a dream spot on one of Brazil’s most beautiful beaches

Lows

• It's expensive – you could probably hire a private beachhouse for a similar price, but UXUA is super hip, and its location priceless
• The service was impeccable but a bit too keen – understandable given they had just opened previous week. We’re sure staff will relax into Trancoso’s sleepy pace in time
• The beach bar is a 10-minute walk down the hill – a struggle indeed!
• It requires effort to get to Trancoso: a domestic flight to Porto Seguro, then a drive or bus and ferry (it's best combined with a stay in Rio or Salvador)