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An ongoing battle between wealthy vacation homeowners and the local government over updating the road system has kept outward appearances in Cambury, two hours north of São Paulo, deceptively primitive. The affluent believe pristine boulevards will bring the masses and thus far, theyve won: driving through the small beach town is a teeth-rattling affair. But behind the pothole-ridden streets and dilapidated-building walls that characterize this stretch of the Costa dos Alcatrazes, lie sophisticated pousadas and restaurants. Every weekend, polished Paulistas spend their days camped out on the golden sands of Cambury Beach, a 1,900-yard crescent just off the villages main street. Evenings in town are devoted to wining and dining at some of the best regional restaurants in Brazil.
Located on an otherwise nondescript residential street, the 22-suite Villa Bebek Hotel (Rua Zezito, 251; 55-12/3865-3320; www.villabebek.com.br; doubles from $130) looks anything but typical. Bungalow shacks outfitted in bright colors and filled with funky accents surround a pool that snakes through the property like an Amazon tributary. Housed in a yellow Mediterranean-style mansion, the romantic Villa Paradiso Pousada (Estrada do Camburi, 1510; 55-12/3865-2557; www.pousadavillaparadiso.cjb.net; doubles from $95, including breakfast) is just a block from the beach. All 12 rooms at this adults-only boutique hotel are awash in pastel hues, and several have private verandas overlooking the small pool and gardens.
Chef Edinho Engel started the Cambury dining revolution 18 years ago when he opened Restaurante Manacá (Rua Manacá, 102; 55-12/3865-1566; dinner for two $100) in the rain forest at the end of a 50-foot boardwalk. His specialty is seafood, and signature dishes like caper-shrimp-and-bananastuffed pargo (snapper) fish en papillote are some of the best to be found outside the big cities. Open-air Acqua (Estrada do Camburi, 2000; 55-12/3865-1866; dinner for two $90), which sits high above Cambury Beach on a forested hillside, is the current hot spot; Brazilian-accented Italian cuisine (conchiglia del mar—a cheesy, creamy seafood casserole baked in a seashell) fuels the chic diners, who spend the rest of the evening sipping on caipirinhas.
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