Eco-Hostel Cantareira

The setting is great, and the location is amazing.

Really awesome.

The property itself looked beautiful and rustic, with a lot of potential. But it was terribly dirty and felt unhygienic. My 4-year-old started sneezing in the first room, and the bedding smelled bad and was filthy. They showed us other rooms, but they were just as dirty. His sneezing got worse, so we decided to leave. We’d just checked in and paid when I noticed the receptionist and the owner weren’t wearing masks. That felt wrong, and I should’ve trusted my instinct and left then. When we went back to reception, the owner was very mocking about us not staying. We had our child with us and didn’t want a confrontation in an uncomfortable place. She said we couldn’t cancel there and would have to sort it out with Booking.com and the card administrator. We wasted time and gas, took risks, and had to drive back to São Paulo in the rain and find somewhere else to sleep. Our home had been fumigated, so we couldn’t go back there. My son cried a lot on the way because he wanted to “sleep in the forest.” It’s in a good location, though some neighbors play loud music, and the idea could work well for big families. With proper management, the place could be a nice stay. But if you care about your health, stay away from it.

The room was clean, and the rest of the stay was lovely. Breakfast was basic, but that suited me fine since I could use the kitchen and prepare my usual food. I spent my honeymoon there with my husband a while back, when we were the only guests. The place was pleasant, but construction was underway and we couldn’t use the large pool, which was full of construction dirt. Some children we didn’t know kept using the small pool throughout our three-day stay. Whenever we came by, they were there. I wish we’d been told about the work beforehand. The noise and construction workers were around while I tried to sunbathe, so I didn’t have privacy or a quiet moment. I’d go back if it weren’t under construction.