Day 7: Rio de Janeiro – Barra do Piraí
Transfer to the Valley of Coffee of the State of Rio de Janeiro (about 3 hours). A day at a coffee farm — a journey into Brazil’s past, its aristocracy, its passion, and the land that created the flavor of life This is a day to escape the city and dive into the green heart of the country. The road runs through rolling hills filled with soft sunlight, past palms, bamboo and eucalyptus… until you reach a historic coffee fazenda — the place where Brazil’s wealth was once born. Here lived the coffee barons — the landowners who in the 19th century made Brazil the world’s biggest coffee producer. Their estates were palaces: high ceilings, grand salons, crystal, European silver — and around it all, endless waves of coffee plantations. This world was rich, dazzling… and ruthless. Here the story of Isaura comes alive — the heroine of the famous novel “The Slave Isaura” by Bernardo Guimarães, which became a legendary Brazilian TV series. It was filmed in fazendas just like this one: the same verandas, the same columns, the same old tiled floors, the same gardens scented with jasmine. You feel her breath here still — a young woman dreaming of freedom among the golden coffee fields. The visit is like walking through time. You will see the old machines used to roast the beans, the drying patios, the wooden barns full of coffee bags, the tools, the history — and you will smell that unmistakable aroma in the air. Then comes the tasting. Fresh coffee grown right here — soft, deep, warm… like an embrace of the land itself. The master will explain why this flavor is so round and smooth, how the sun changes the taste of the grain, and why Brazilian coffee is not just a drink — but a philosophy. A walk through the fazenda is pure peace. Bougainvillea in full bloom, violets, jasmine, mango trees, still lakes, white herons on the grass… every step is like a breath of clean air. This is a day where you dive into Brazil as it truly is: not only beaches and samba, but roots, memories, and the deep layers that created the modern spirit of this country. You will leave feeling that you have learned more than the story of coffee — you touched the very soul of Brazil.
