I recently travelled to the most delightful and luxurious South American resort of Ponta dos Ganchos which is situated on the mainland opposite the holiday island of Florianopolis.
Travelling from the UK requires you to fly into either Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. It is then a one hour hop to Florianopolis and the resort is one hour from the airport. If you live in any of the regions, by far the most convenient route is to travel KLM via Amsterdam. They also offer the most competitive business class fare of just under £1800 per person.
The resort itself is a secure gated community of 25 luxurious bungalows set in its own small peninsula adjacent to a small genuine working fishing village. There are three principal standards of bungalow and even the entry level accommodation is quite superb – spacious, sea views, wonderful terraces, some with plunge pool. One interesting feature was that the standard of room service is so high, each time you leave your villa, somehow magically housekeeping arrive and refresh your room, even if it is only to put away an empty beer glass.
There is a breakfast/club room, an indoor pool and a fitness centre situated in the heart of the complex and a restaurant overlooking the beach for lunch and dinner, although there is a delightful barbecue area which is used four times per week. Ponta dos Ganchos is ‘all inclusive’. All the food and soft drinks are in the price. You only have to pay for alcoholic drinks.
One of the highlights of the holiday was unquestionably the food. There is a constantly changing lunch and dinner menu, all of quite exceptional standard, from fresh seafood spaghetti to exquisite meat dishes. You will soon find yourself slipping into a three course lunch and a three course dinner, each getting later as the restaurants are open for the service of any meals from early until one o’clock in the morning.
Although expensive, when you factor in the cost of food against staying in a five star hotel, it offers value. So, if you want a relaxing holiday in luxurious accommodation eating exceptional food, here is the place to go and the bonus is you can go for a short period as there is no jet lag. Brazil is only two hours off UK time.
