Meeting Paula, from the Pousada Saúde Melhor

It is in the heart of the Atlantic rainforest that we meet Paula. Mother, wife and responsible for the well-being of a tourist ecosystem located at the foot of Pico dos Cabritos, where the majestic Serra da Mantiqueira begins, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This tourist ecosystem is actually the realization of a mission, the Mauricio's mission, Paula's husband, who since the first seed of the reforestation project and the first stone of the ecological village, has been dreaming big to be able to heal others. With a special affinity towards Mother Earth, Mauricio founded this connected ecosystem where a village and an ecological park, a restaurant (vegan-detox), a holistic wellness spa and a hotel coexist. A connected and conscious "whole" that offers escape, calm, care and well-being.

"I'm here to take care of this beautiful place, the people who come to visit us, nature and myself" Paula confides to me, as she introduces herself for Kasa Nature.

How would you define this place?

It is a place of peace and holistic health that provides physical, mental and spiritual care. It is also a place of consciousness, where we teach and transmit our skills and knowledge about nutrition and nature.

It is an eco-tourist place, but not only, quite the contrary. Can you tell us more about the relationship with nature?

Tourism represents a diversification of our activity, a way to share our daily life, our interests and our beliefs with visitors from all over the world. Originally, this is a sacred place that we protect and enhance! Twenty years ago, it was still just hills with a few herds, when Mauricio, environmental engineer, arrived with a project of reforestation of flora. The ecological village as well as the other structures such as the restaurant, the temple, the spa and part of the Pousada Saúde Melhor, are bio-constructions made from Adobe and Bamboo, directly extracted from the park. Other materials are recycled or recovered, such as the windows, which are the windows of old buses, for example.

We are also involved in a wildlife and freshwater preservation project, as well as the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants for internal use by the community and visitors, as well as treatments and rituals based on Ayahuasca, widely used in Latin America. It is with a deep respect that we carry out these life projects, thanks to nature and for our planet.

Very connected to nature, you also put a point of honor on local social development, what are your commitments?

During the construction of the structures and for some of the maintenance of the park, we have called upon the people of the Villa who are in the heights of the city. We prefer this type of hand-in-hand collaboration with our neighbors to support our small town and its inhabitants. As a former traveler, I have also set up a program to welcome volunteer travelers to the park, so that everyone can make their own contribution to our life project.

In addition, we are developing environmental education and astronomical observatory projects with local schools to educate new generations and pass on all this know-how, sometimes ancestral. We consider that the seeds of the preservation of our planet are planted from childhood!

I spent 6 weeks with Paula, her family and her team in the heart of this wild and enchanting nature. I was able to find a place of peace, respect and awareness, while enjoying the village of Extrema, a small tourist destination only 100 km from the big and crazy metropolis of Sao Paulo.  I hope that each person who passes by will be able to find the same essence, and leave a positive imprint in this magical place! Live your experience and contact them here

Tiffany, passionate communicator, inveterate marketer, enthusiastic traveler and collaborator of Kasa Nature.