Santo André, mouth of the João de Tiba River, Santa Cruz Cabrália, 15 km from Guaiú.
THE "ECOVILA TROPICÁLIA" PROJECT
A friendly life project in the art of good living.
THE PROPERTY
The Tropicália Farm, which houses the Tropicália Ecovilla project, is a 42-hectare property located in the state of Bahia, a short distance from the Atlantic Ocean and nestled in an environmental protection area, the Santo Antônio APA.
Located in the village of Guaiú, a Santa Cruz Cabrália district, the farm is connected by a paved road, the BA-001, to the Porto Seguro airport, 37 km away. In the opposite direction, the same road gives access to the nearby town of Belmonte (34 km to the north).
OVERVIEW
The property is divided into two main parts:
- 1 - The "Área 1" (below) is a 30 hectares forest area, a beautiful Atlantic Rainforest remnant, ideal for walks and the contemplation of this lush nature. It is here that the extraction of piassava, a fiber from a palm tree native and exclusive to the region is traditionally practiced. This part of the property also houses surface water resources, with small streams and its riparian forest: a permanent preservation site that extends over approximately 6 hectares of this area. It is in this area that the Ecovilla is proposed.
- 2 - The other part, consisting of 12 wooded hectares in 80% of secondary forest (spontaneous regeneration) and fruit trees typical of the region, is adjacent and dominates the village and the coastal plain. This part, valued for its inclusion as an urban expansion zone (UEZ) in the Municipal Master Plan, can be separated from the group, giving space to the Ecovilla project and its developments.
THE 'ECOVILA'
In an environment that offers a wide diversification, the project initially comprises an ecological village, but mainly a life place where solutions leading to lesser environmental impacts are privileged.
The Ecovilla proposal, however, covers the so-called “Area 1”, in green on the opposite map.
Among its founding principles, we highlight:
> Ecoconstructions
> Solar or wind power
> Vegetables, small farming, fruit growing, all organic
> Wastewater and solid waste treatment
> Infrastructure and equipment sharing
The idea is, therefore, to share: investments, life and management, but also the independence that implies in a certain self-sufficiency. For this purpose, and in addition to the property itself, common infrastructures are considered: water (wells and reservoirs), access, social spaces, na office, recycling services, organic gardenand fruit growing, as well as equipment: vehicles, tools or agricultural equipment , which can also be shared.
The management of the group is also considered, which includes activity development, with the management of walking areas, for example, and the implementation of new community projects (accommodation structures, restaurant, activities for the transformation of agricultural products, among others.) according to a collectively prepared operational project, which can generate financial return for the co-owners.
The idea of a collective project also allows the project partners to become involved, each according to their level of interest, knowledge and financial resources, always applying an independence and autonomy vision whose complementarity would constitute the social cement where each investor may become enriched.
ACTIVITIES
Apart from a simple residence, many activities can also be developed, always considering the fact that we are in a protected environment.
Four major themes can be underlined:
> Tourist and ecotourism activities
> Educational, recreational and sports activities
> Agricultural activities
> Cultural, spiritual or convivial activities
Such activities may be individual or collective. In either case, they will also be a source of income for the management company of the Ecovilla (the collective), but also individually, depending on the status of those who will undertake the activity and the used structures.
Let us remember the main sectors that can be covered by projects:
> Accomodation/Food sector
> Tourism
> Agriculture
> Teaching
PRACTICAL ASPECTS
Today, many people worldwide express an interest in proposals of this nature. For this reason, this page is multilingual, aimed at an international audience invited to contact, ask and, perhaps, engage in this adventure in which the encounter prevails: an encounter with a different reality, a perhaps unknown environment, possibly other cultures, other people, other ways of life.
Within this period of principle, we will seek to schedule all meetings and activities that interest you, so please contact us to adjust the details of your visit.
Bahia contains many riches, several stunning places to visit and the Ecovilla can be an excellent base-refuge to discover the charms of the region, from the humpback whale sanctuary in the Abrolhos archipelago to the capital of Salvador, passing through the cocoa city of Ilhéus , the fishing village of Boipeba, the waterfalls of Chapada Diamantina or even the turtles of the Tamar project at Praia do Forte.