Wedding in nature

WELCOME TO ELEMENTAL RETREAT

The Team

The Elemental Retreat is built around people who know this landscape from the inside. Born in the forest, born in Paraty, or drawn here by something they couldn't quite explain.

Wander Campus - Boat Tours and Positivity

Wander has been showing visitors the best of Paraty for close to 25 years. His boat takes up to 12: small enough that it never feels like a tour. He speaks English, Portuguese and Italian and knows the bay and it's islands inside out.

Wander Campus - Boat Tours and Positivity

Wander has been showing visitors the best of Paraty for close to 25 years. His boat takes up to 12: small enough that it never feels like a tour. He speaks English, Portuguese and Italian and knows the bay and it's islands inside out.

Luis da Mata — Naturalist & Forest Guide

Born and raised in the Atlantic rainforest near Paraty, Luis da Mata has an extraordinary connection to the natural world. Locals say he is "bem da mata" — truly a man of the forest. A gifted naturalist, he can identify and call dozens of tropical bird species, and walking with him through the jungle is like stepping into a living field guide. During warmer months he sleeps beneath the rainforest canopy. Time with Luis is not just a walk — it's an immersion into the rhythms and secrets of the Atlantic Forest.

Talluana Nogueira — Bodywork Therapist

Talluana Nogueira is a bodywork therapist based in Paraty and founder of Oca, a centre for massage, Ayurveda and yoga. Her sessions combine intuitive touch, body awareness and integrative care — a grounding complement to the week. Private therapeutic bodywork available throughout the retreat.

Colin Jolly — Host & Curator

I first came to Paraty in 2002, lived in Brazil for several years, and have returned every year since. Over time I built something I didn't set out to build — a deep network of local friends and guides who know this landscape better than anyone. This year I'm bringing a long-standing idea to life. Small retreats, run whenever 4 or more want one. Beachfront villas where the Atlantic rainforest meets the ocean — nature, good food, genuine exploration and time to properly switch off. The photos are from the same spot on Caixa d'Aço beach, twenty years apart. Paddy in the white t-shirt loved Paraty so much he never left. He now runs Paraty Explorer, and you'll almost certainly meet him.

Colin Jolly — Host & Curator

I first came to Paraty in 2002, lived in Brazil for several years, and have returned every year since. Over time I built something I didn't set out to build — a deep network of local friends and guides who know this landscape better than anyone. This year I'm bringing a long-standing idea to life. Small retreats, run whenever 4 or more want one. Beachfront villas where the Atlantic rainforest meets the ocean — nature, good food, genuine exploration and time to properly switch off. The photos are from the same spot on Caixa d'Aço beach, twenty years apart. Paddy in the white t-shirt loved Paraty so much he never left. He now runs Paraty Explorer, and you'll almost certainly meet him.

Our Partners

Casas Paraty

Provides the beachfront villa accommodation on Jabaquara beach — consistently five-star reviewed and among the finest coastal properties in Paraty.

Brazil Adventure Tours

An Anglo-Brazilian travel and tour agency based in Rio de Janeiro, registered in Brazil and licensed by the Brazilian Tourism Ministry. Brazil Adventure Tours handles all bookings and payments for the Elemental Retreat with full legal and professional backing. They can also arrange any pre or post-retreat travel across Brazil and South America.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US

Have questions or want to know more? We’re here for you.

E-MAIL

colin.jolly@rioparaty.com

TELEPHONE

+447515108713

ADDRESS

Av. Jabaquara, 777 - Jabaquara, Paraty - RJ, 23970-000, Brazil