Kenoa: in dialogue with nature
Almost as if by magic, out of the crowd of locals and tourists that thronged the Maceió Zumbi dos Palmares airport, a driver dressed in an impeccable uniform from the Kenoa Resort, my home for the next few days, materializes in front of me before I have reached the baggage claim belt and leads me to a black limousine. The journey to the hotel ends on a road lined with palm trees that crosses a dense mangrove from which I glimpse a path of sand that advances to a pavilion. With its gabled wooden roof and clean lines, it blends into the surrounding jungle . I find myself in Sao Miguel Bar, on one of the most spectacular beaches in the state of Alagoas , in a still little exploited area of northeastern Brazil where it is always summer. And it is that even in Brazil there are beaches and beaches, and this idyllic town, together with the neighboring French Beach (Praia do Francês), is the one that now captivates sun lovers around the world.
While the beautiful people wanting to party go to Trancoso in herd and Bay is highly appreciated by top-models, Barra de São Miguel and the exclusive eco-resort kenoa attracts the fashion tribes of São Paolo and gangs of designers, models, actors, couturiers, young aristocrats and well-known trendsetters . There is a carefree bohemian atmosphere and glamor without additives. East it is a place without rush “perfect for doing nothing ”, confesses Pedro Marques, the young owner of Kenoa, “which is just what our guests tell us they need”.
Barra de São Miguel and the exclusive Kenoa attract designers, models, actors, young aristocrats and trendsetters
And, of course, at resorts of this category there is no need for something as mundane as check-in. My butler accompanies me to my villa, located in front of the sea and decorated in a clearly Brazilian style with Asian licenses . The embroidery of the bedspreads do the women of a town nearby, the pottery pieces and wood carvings come from Mina Gerais , that mask is from Bali, the rugs from the Amazon, the bathtubs are hot tubs, wooden tubs from Japan, the sink was made from a stone found on the beach... The resort is a treasure labyrinth , a ecological fantasy in which, behind each object, each detail, there is a story.
During the works, efforts were made not to waste materials, many of which have been given a second life. No plastic bottles, hardly any paint and, to reduce the consumption , staff uniforms do not need to be ironed. The pale light of dawn filters into my room while colorful birds sing from the tops of the palm trees.
Kenoa is a fantasy
Up to my ears comes the whisper of the gardener's broom and the constant waves of the sea, a blessed symphony, a few meters beyond. A few minutes later I find myself trudging across scorching sand trying to get my feet to the safety of the cool shore. I squint my eyes to protect them from the sun. If you want learn to surf or paddle surf – not my case – you are in the right place, with a private teacher if you require it.
With hundreds of miles of golden beaches , this a place of waves, wind and mangroves, coconut plantations and endless blue skies . As if frozen in a piece of amber, this exceptional heritage acts as a magnet for investors, conservationists and all those who simply seek a unobstructed beauty . A group of them decided to turn their different talents around to become hoteliers . Although their aesthetic visions are diverse, they all agree in their respect for history and nature and his passion for intelligent design.
The most prominent case is that of Pedro Marques. He worked as an engineer for Deloitte and he did not want to visit other hotels so as not to be influenced. “ I wanted to create a hotel from the point of view of the guests ”, He explains to me. “Incorporate nature into design and demonstrate that it can be ecological with a very high level of service ”.
Kenoa's golden beaches
Kenoa is located in a place where, in the past, there was a village of the caetés indians . The construction was done in the traditional style, almost on the shore of the ocean. The architect Osvaldo Tenorio took charge of this, creating friendly, delicate, rather raw interiors, without varnishes or glosses, which mix antiques with contemporary photographs , teak floors and mahogany sideboards. Wood worked on bare cement walls, noble materials sharing space with avant-garde design. A set of textures, aromas and contrasts that make up a mosaic of sensations . While the exterior blends with the surroundings, the interior takes you beyond. in kenoa there are hardly any posters, there are no rules either.
In this kind of paradise there is no need to tell guests how to relax and be happy. They already know . To reach nirvana, "the spa is a wellness sanctuary where the senses are pampered and from which one leaves feeling younger," Pedro assures me. Does anyone remember what mangaba coulis is? And the ark with carambola? Does the seafood cataplana tell you anything? On your second day in Kenoa you will recognize all these dishes from the Kaamo restaurant menu – aamo means 'moon'. The chef, Cesar Santos , originally from the neighboring state of Pernambuco, was the one who put the region on the gastronomic map. He uses classic techniques to work with Brazilian products, boldly combining them with Asian flavors. This time, his goal at Kaamo has been to strengthen his commitment to sustainability, involving the local farmers, ranchers and fishermen and recovering unknown or forgotten ingredients.
Kenoa cuisine
Developed thanks to the sugar cane industry, Maceio it is the state capital. With its trinket shops, boardwalk, and advancing concrete in the form of condominiums, Maceió isn't a tourist town, but I'm curious to check it out. Everything here revolves around the beach, especially in the neighborhood of Ponta Verde and in the pajucara beach.
In the latter is the promenade, full of restaurants open late into the night , and most of the city's upscale hotels; while in Ponta Verde is where the famous craft night market : Cheiro da Terra , the 'essence of the earth'. Easily navigated on foot, Maceió's laid-back downtown has no significant historical attractions, although it does have some pretty colonial buildings, such as the church of Bom Jesus dos Martires , covered with white and blue tiles. But the main attraction of the city is the sea. And to dive into the shallow reefs, the so-called 'parrachos', you have to head for the Pajucara beach and enroll in one of the excursions aboard the colorful jangadas, the traditional fishermen's boats.
Spaces that invite you to do nothing
But I'm headed in an SUV to the reserve Lagoa do Roteiro , one of the largest and best preserved mangroves in the country. From the village of Vila Palateia , we navigate in canoes through the flooded canals to the Ilha do Meio , the ‘middle island’, famous for being a oyster farm , the second largest farm in Brazil . The visit culminates with an on-site tasting. But it is time to return to the winter of the northern hemisphere. I remember a quote from Gandhi that seems to sum up the life connected to the land of this region: “The happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony ”. I think the surfers, the indigenous people, the Kenoa staff…everyone in northeast Brazil would agree.
* This article is published in the January 80 issue of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. This number is available in its digital version for iPad in the iTunes AppStore, and in the digital version for PC, Mac, Smartphone and iPad in the Zinio virtual kiosk (on Smartphone devices: Android, PC/Mac, Win8, WebOS, Rims, iPad). Also, you can find us on Google Play Newsstand.
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Happiness in Kenoa