Castelar da Alvorada

In the Valle do Capao on the western side of Chapada Diamentina National Park, there is intense competition for guests to stay at the posadas, or houses or inns. So, on the surface, it seems they couldn’t all possibly survive as businesses, especially with the lengths the owners go to catering their properties with beautiful gardens. When searching for a place to stay in the valley, the appearance of Castelar de Alvorada was too quaint to resist, so we chose it as our base camp for exploring the national park. The castle is 4 kilometres shy of Capao Village and about 16 kilometres from Palmeiras. It is handy to the Fumaca waterfall trail, the Rianchinho waterfall with a pool for swimming at the base of the falls. It is also handy to some of the noteworthy attractions in the area, such as Inacio lookout, Lapa Doce Cave and Pratinha (see my Lencois review). The grounds of the castle are immaculate and the garden must be one of the best in the valley. It also has an amazing swimming pool that is just so unexpected. The buildings are pure charm. Our room had 2 levels, the lower like an entry to house the suitcases and with a large bathroom with walk in shower and spa bath. The upper level had a large bed and sitting area, fridge, and balcony with a hammock. The steps to the upper level are steep. It adds to the charm but may be tricky for some. The upper-level floors creak like an old house but there is nothing musty about the rooms. There is also an air conditioner and television. The sleep was serene with no extraneous noises from outside. An expansive breakfast is included, with eggs also available on request. Make sure you try out the milk cake. Also, nearly all of the breakfast food was gluten free. Dinner was not provided during our stay in mid-May as we were the only guests, though they did offer a delivery option. I assume that during busier times this would not be the case. It helps to have your own car to get to the village and attractions. We had a private tour with Discover Chapada Diamantina and the guide kindly transported us to the village for dinner each of the 3 nights we stayed. There is a taxi and Uber in the village also. Water pressure in the shower was satisfactory. We paid $US100 per night for the stay, which was reasonable. There are so many places to choose from if heading for Capao. The Castelar de Alvorada should definitely be on your list of accommodation options for a peaceful and picturesque experience. Check out my other reviews of places, hotels and experiences throughout South America.