Escape: Places: Hot Spot Hotel: Pousada Maravilha, Brazil

Hot Spot Hotel: Pousada Maravilha, Brazil

An hour’s flight from Recife in northern Brazil, Fernando de Noronha is a pristine National Marine Park once visited by Charles Darwin and so eco-oriented that on some beaches no sunscreen or flip-flops are allowed. It’s long been a hideaway for the Brazilian jet set, but up until now the island’s only weakness has been the lack of a decent hotel. Pousada Maravilha, owned by the scions of some of Brazil’s wealthiest families, is reason to rejoice. There are just eight bright white rooms with billowy curtains and giant beds. Views encompass the brilliant peacock-green ocean and you can enjoy outdoor jungle showers, a private Japanese hot tub and lazy-time hammocks. The sleek infinity-edged pool is rock-star cool. During the day, hire a beach buggy and bomb around on roads discovering a range of breathtaking, deserted beaches, some with dolphins bouncing through the waves. Don’t miss diving in the gin-clear water, with visibility of up to 165 feet and wonderfully rich marine life, and watching Green Sea baby turtles hatch on the beach in the dead of night. Showtime runs from December to May. Get here soon before everybody does. Rooms from $700 in high season, including breakfast and transfers.