Travel

Casas Elilula, Preá, Brazil

Brazil’s Barefoot Answer to Riviera Glamour

Casas Elilula in Preá introduces a new concept of laid-back luxury, drawing travellers to Brazil’s mythical northeastern coast with its pristine, wild beaches, ideal kitesurfing conditions, and effortless, barefoot-chic appeal.

Say northeastern Brazil, and Jericoacoara is the name that comes to mind. Jericoacoara has become an established destination thanks to its perfect horseshoe bay, sand streets lined with caipirinha bars, wooden houses with brightly painted shutters and dancing to live music at picture-perfect pink sunsets. Reachable only through sand tracks or along the beach, the journey to Jericoacoara is something akin to the Dakar rally, with locals on motorbikes skidding past open-top 4x4s loaded with tourists lumbering through the troughs and peaks of the rough lanes.

But a new name is emerging: Preá, just 12 kilometres away, is quietly becoming the preferred option for sophisticated travellers. Preá is to Jericoacoara what Courchevel is to Megève. Rustic and unspoilt – there is no cashpoint and shoes are optional – it is poised as Brazil’s next luxury destination.

Master bedroom Casa Eli - Casas Elilula, Preá, Brazil

Casa Eli accommodate up to eight people, featuring four bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms.
It offers a private garden, a first-floor living room with sea views and direct beach access.

Tourism in this corner of Brazil revolves around water sports: Jericoacoara first attracted the globetrotting windsurfing tribe in the early 1990s, while Preá now draws kiteboarders with its consistent, strong offshore winds for most of the year, making it arguably the world’s top kitesurfing destination.

Surfer cool marks the style of Preá: think flocks of neon kites criss-crossing the blue sky, sun-bleached, wind-tousled hair, kite clinics lining the shore and dune buggies making tracks in the sand.

The family behind Casas Elilula first came to Preá for the kitesurfing, but stayed for the lifestyle. The result is an enclave of three wooden “casas” set within a hectare of lush tropical vegetation, directly on the beach. At the heart of the property is a large swimming pool, perfect for serious laps or relaxing to the sound of rustling palms and tropical birds beneath palm-thatched pergolas. Accessible only by beach or a sand road, the design strikes a nuanced balance between Preá’s rustic charm and European refinement.

Garden bedroom, Casa La, Casas Elilula, Preá, Brazil

Also with capacity for eight people, raw textures, clean geometry and seamless indoor-outdoor living define Casa LA at Casas Elilula, Preá, Brazil.

Casas Elilula is a family project, designed by the owners’ architect daughter, blending traditional building techniques with elegant contemporary architecture. Each casa – Eli, Lu, and La – has its own character, but all are crafted from richly burnished local woods and natural materials such as palm thatching. The warm wood exteriors are set off by glossy greenery and the dazzling blue-and-white backdrop of the ocean.

The architect’s skill is evident in the flowing layouts that bring the outdoors into the heart of each casa, letting you enjoy wood and sand underfoot from dawn to dusk. A verdant garden of palms catches the breeze in a double-height, open-air atrium; wrap-around terraces with sea views invite relaxation or dining on custom-made furniture; outdoor showers refresh on the hottest days; and breezy wooden walkways connect to open-plan kitchens. Bedrooms feature walls of louvred wooden shutters that slide open, letting guests sleep to the sound of waves with only a mosquito net between them and the sea breeze.

Equal parts family home and rental sanctuary, every detail has been carefully considered. Indulgently large beds, Egyptian cotton bedding, and sea-facing terraces hung with pristine white hammocks invite guests to relax and embrace the Brazilian lifestyle. Bespoke furniture, specially commissioned artwork, and 1950s designer pieces sourced in São Paulo add to the property’s quiet sense of luxury.

Central swimming-pool at Casas Elilula, Preá, Brazil.

All villas have direct access to a massive central pool (25m x 25m) that feels more horizon than
water, expansive, sun-drenched and entirely in tune with Preá’s wild coastline.

Sustainability is central: sea breezes and ceiling fans provide natural cooling, electricity is solar, wastewater is recycled, and the property is plastic-free.

Where the generous spirit of the concept comes into its own is in the ample spaces between each casa, offering privacy and discreetly sheltered by well-established vegetation, home to butterflies and the occasional miniature lime-green lizard. Socialising is encouraged around the pool and at the pool house, which has a drum set and a pool table, with views of the beach tennis and volleyball courts.

Beyond kite-surfing, activities include trips through the sand dunes on quad bikes or 4×4 vehicles to visit impossibly blue lagoons or remote, slow-paced villages reminiscent of Gabriel García Marquez’s legendary Macondo.

The houses can be rented individually, or the entire property can be taken over – a feature that celebrities and public figures seeking absolute privacy have come to value. The property is entirely self-catering, with a staff of ten discreetly seeing to cleaning and maintenance. An extensive list of chefs, masseuses, yoga teachers, kite-surfing instructors, local guides, and restaurants allows guests to tailor their visit with as much or as little pampering as desired.

With rumours of Anantara and luxury Brazilian hotel chain Fasano interested in the area, visit Preá, where time, for the moment, stands still.

More about Casas Elilula, HERE.
Prices from: £870 – £3,575 for 3 nights, depending on the choice of casa and season. The transfer from Fortaleza airport costs approximately £160 (4 pax).