Recanto Catarina

A lovely, distinctive spot. It’d work well for a wedding or just a quiet break.

What makes Recanto Catarina stand out is the setting. It’s gorgeous, surrounded by nature, with plenty of space and impressive facilities. The staff are kind and attentive, and the owner, Sr. Catarina, is especially polite and warm. We also enjoyed the breakfast, and it’s a peaceful place to rest. There are hammocks, pools, hot tubs, and other leisure options, but many of the activities, like the bonfire and live music, weren’t publicized. More hammocks would be nice, too. The main problem is that the place seems short staffed and poorly organized. The employees were friendly, but often seemed lost and took a long time to help us. That’s not their fault. With a property this large, Sr. Catarina can’t manage everything himself. It needs more staff and someone to coordinate the work. Maintenance and cleaning need a lot of attention. Several areas felt neglected, including the party halls and the game room, which seemed run down, smelled musty, and could use better lighting, cleaning, and air conditioning. The pool and other shared spaces were dirty when we went on the first day. They should be cleaned early, even if guests haven’t woken up yet. The cleaning in the room was limited to changing towels and taking out the trash. Food falling on the floor during meals in the room was left there, which was especially unpleasant near the bathroom in the themed cabins. I was surprised that breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all served in the room. If I’d known, I probably wouldn’t have come. They have at least three halls that could be used as a restaurant. That might also reduce breakfast waste and make meals more comfortable, romantic, and hygienic. The dishes were around 200,00 for two people and nothing special. Most orders arrived late, apart from breakfast on the first two days and dinner on the first day. One delay was almost an hour. The afternoon coffee could also be served from 16h to 17h instead of 17h to 18h. More broadly, they need a plan for problems like a burned out pump or a leak. One maintenance employee can’t collect branches, set up a bonfire, and fix a pool leak all at once. On a weekend, the hot tub broke and they simply closed it, which was hard to accept when there weren’t many other leisure options. The facilities have a lot of potential, but they need to look after what’s already there before adding another 40 to 70 cabins. They’re struggling to manage 30, so 100 seems unrealistic. They should hire more people urgently and open a restaurant instead of focusing only on event rentals.

We stayed at Recanto Catarina from 22 a 24/11/2025 for our first wedding anniversary. We booked one of their most expensive chalets, expecting the service to match the high rates. Instead, nearly everything went wrong. It felt like we’d been picked to train an intern. We were asked to choose a breakfast delivery time when we arrived and booked 08:00. The first morning’s special breakfast, which cost 350 reais, was replaced by their regular basket, which is normally free, and it arrived very late. After I pointed out the mix-up, they apologized and prepared the right option, but we didn’t eat until almost 11h. The second morning, the regular basket was late again and included milk that had gone sour. It was at room temperature in a thermos and had thickened to the texture of yogurt. Dinner was just as frustrating. The previous dinner and this one both arrived an hour late. The Strogonoff was inedible, overly sweet, and came with stale, hard potato sticks, like an opened bag left at the back of a cupboard. It cost 299 reais. The power had also gone out, and there was no generator or even candles offered. We tried to eat by phone light so we could go to bed, rather than wait for a reply and then a fix. They’d also forgotten the bucket of ice I’d requested for our drink. I messaged them on WhatsApp, but they replied half an hour later, when we no longer needed it. Nothing arrived at the agreed time. Every order was at least an hour late, and missing items took another half hour to show up. It felt like complete disregard. Not once did things go as expected. At checkout I told the manager what had happened, hoping to offer feedback for improvement, and said I wasn’t planning to leave a negative review. I thought she might at least waive the charge for the awful Strogonoff. Instead, she offered 10% off that dish and promised a voucher for another stay so we could have a better experience. The voucher never came, which is why I’m posting this now. The bad service ruined an important celebration we can’t get back, and then she didn’t keep her word. I don’t accept promises that aren’t honored. Even though I wouldn’t return, she should have sent the voucher she promised. Whether I used it would have been my choice.

We spent four days here, two in a suite and two in a chalet. Both were clean, well equipped, and had comfortable beds and nice smelling towels. There was a hair dryer, which was great for us women. The staff welcomed us warmly and helped with everything we asked for. The owner is a really lovely person. The setting is beautiful, full of greenery, and it’s easy to reach even though it’s within the city. It feels like a great place to get away in nature, and it could also host weddings. I loved the hammocks, pools, hot tubs, and private bathtubs. Breakfast was more than enough for us, and the afternoon coffee with delicious cakes was a real treat. Recanto is still new, so I think it’ll be even better the next time we visit. They’re going to try an all inclusive lodging meal setup, which could be a good idea. The value is very good for what’s offered. I’d recommend it for a few days away from the usual routine. Bring insect repellent, though, since there are lots of little mosquitoes around. Make the most of this great leisure spot.