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The owner of this resort near the town of Itacaré is a well-traveled banker from Sao Paulo who decided that he and his friends shouldn’t have to travel all the way to Asia to enjoy the kind of laid-back luxury of Amanresorts. It’s been a favorite retreat of wealthy Brazilians since he opened it in 2002 and a well-kept secret among discerning travelers. (The only reason that the hotel allowed me to write about it for Town & Country in 2005 was because a Brazilian friend knew the owner.) In fact, until the highway north of Ilheus was finished in 1998, the only travelers who ventured to this area at all were die-hard surfers lured by the legend of Itacaré’s waves. Once the highway was completed, Txai’s owners bought a 6,000-acre parcel with a fabulous stretch of beach that backs up to a rainforest complete with waterfalls and woolly spider monkeys.

Under towering coconut trees (the land once harbored a coconut plantation), they built simple cottages set on stilts set just back from the beach and tiered up the hillside. The original rooms are not fancy. Think super-sized summer camp or eco-lodge cottages with air-conditioning, mosquito nets over the beds and outdoor showers. It’s a Brazilian idea of luxury: pretty and virtually unadorned just like the girls on its beaches. Or as someone once explained it to me our theory is: ”When the natural beauty is extreme, you don’t need to dress it up.” The public areas include a wonderful glass cube of a library and two houses, called the north and south living rooms, where guests gather before dinner for drinks. Both are decorated in a style similar to that of the owner’s private house on the property. His wife was a creative director so you’ll spot gorgeous coffee table books, treasures from Asia and artfully hung straw hats. The restaurants serve delicious food depending on what’s fresh at the market and appeals to the chef’s whim. At lunchtime, some sunbathers don’t even bother leaving their giant sunbeds to eat but order meals delivered to them. The best tables are set under palapas right on the dunes. Rooms from $500.

The Crowd: Wealthy couples and families and the occasional movie star or singer from Sao Paulo and Rio make up the majority of guests with a sprinkling of French, Italian and Argentines. Luxury bike company Butterfield and Robinson has brought some of its VIP clients, like director Sydney Pollack and Doris Fisher of the GAP.

Activities: With a cadre of sporty guides on hand, the resort can arrange for surf lessons, mountain biking and hiking tours, rafting trips, even overnight camp outs in the rainforest. Many, though, just spend their days moving from beach to pool to siesta.

The news: The resort has added wonderful new residences, which are more luxurious two to four-bedroom houses down the beach from the original cottages. With huge glass windows facing the sea and contemporary furniture from talented Brazilian designers, these rooms are the best ones to get, especially for families and friends traveling together who get the privacy of a rental home with the services of a hotel.

Tip: Txai is pronounced like the tea drink “Chai.”

To Book: You can try to reach the hotel directly, which is run almost more like a friend’s estate, but if you are unsuccessful getting through, contact us and we can book for you.