Pousada Jamanta

We loved the diving, and spent four days with the Jamanta dive center during our five-day stay. The dive masters, Maria, Bruno and Leandro, were friendly and patient, and made every dive special. The whole place was so well organized, even the storage room was neat and tidy. The landscaping is gorgeous and everything was cleaned each morning. Our room felt modern, the bed was very comfortable, and the windows cut down the outside noise. The reception team welcomed us with a tour of the property, and breakfast had lots of delicious options. We ate at the hotel restaurant every night. The Caipis were great, and we enjoyed the food too, usually rice, a small salad, beans and chicken. It takes a bit of a journey to get here from Rio, but it was worth it. We’d recommend it for great diving and a place off the beaten track. The only downside is that we wanted to stay longer.

We could only stay for one night because the place was fully booked, but we’d be happy to come back. It’s a lovely place right by the sea, and all the staff were incredibly friendly and gave us very good tips.

The scenery and location were beautiful, and I enjoyed being there. The staff were generally very polite. I hope we can return to Pousada Jamanta for a longer stay, better accommodation, and the island cruise from 10 to 16, since we’d like to spend more time in the area. Still, the property needs much better upkeep and management. I jointly managed a 15-room high-profile guest house in Europe for several years, so I have some experience with management and guest care. I paid to upgrade on arrival from a room advertised as garden-view, though it was a wall of plants rather than a garden, to sea-view. It wasn’t inexpensive. The exterior photos online are inviting, but the property itself felt dated, like the 70s, and inadequately renovated. The bar and restaurant floors were dirty and unhygienic. Access to the sea from there was poor and slippery, and anyone jumping from the deck should be careful because it can be shallow and rocky. The sheets were damp, and cooking fat smells came from the kitchen, which lacked ventilation and was poorly set up. The bathroom was okay, but the room surfaces felt sticky and weren’t properly cleaned. Wipeable surfaces or a full renovation would help. Breakfast was acceptable, though there were no eggs made to order. There were no gloves available, and tables weren’t spaced for social distancing. Bikes were available to rent, but the narrow roads made riding away from the property feel somewhat dangerous. We took a two-person ocean kayak out among the attractive scenery and many islets. Once we were fairly far from shore, it became hard to paddle because water was filling the back of the boat. We reached a beach to drain it and found the plastic hull had been poorly repaired. Luckily, we had cell service and reached the hotel to ask for pickup. We were several miles out and needed to check out, and without a phone, with few people around, it could have ended differently. The hotel didn’t apologize, though perhaps messages got crossed.

Jamanta felt like heaven to me, from the location and facilities to the staff and included buffet breakfast. Three days wasn’t nearly enough, and I’m truly sad to leave. I’ll definitely come back someday.