🎆 🏝️ 🥥

Draft plan · v1 — nothing booked yet

Brazil — New Year 2026 / 27

Réveillon on Copacabana, the islands of Angra, resort days in Trancoso.
15–20 of us · 2.5 weeks · private villas + a chef on every leg.

📅 ~29 Dec 2026 → ~15 Jan 2027 · ~17 nights 🎇 Rio → 🛥️ Angra → 🥥 Trancoso ~£8–12k pp · upscale

The shape 1 · Rio (NYE) 2 · Angra 3 · Trancoso Logistics Budget Decisions

🗺️ The shape

Three legs, ~17 nights. Start with New Year in Rio, slow down for a week in the islands of Angra dos Reis, then switch to full-service resort mode in Trancoso, where people can also work remotely. Two domestic moves — Rio → Angra by road, Angra → Trancoso by air.

New Year's Eve fireworks over Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro

← swipe →

Leg	Dates (draft)	Nights	Vibe	Where we stay
1 · Rio de JaneiroNYE on the beach	29 Dec → 2 Jan	4	Réveillon, the icons, samba	Villa — Ipanema / Lagoa / Gávea
2 · Angra dos ReisCosta Verde	2 Jan → 8 Jan	6	Islands, boat day, diving	Private villa + boat dock
3 · TrancosoBahia	8 Jan → ~15 Jan	7	Resort, beach, fitness, food	Villa cluster + chef

Trip length

~17 nights

Group

15–20 of us

Budget

~£8–12k pp

Lodging

Villas + chef

      ⚠️ Book early. Rio at New Year and Trancoso in January are two of the highest-demand windows in Brazil — minimum stays, sellouts and price spikes are real. The big rocks (NYE penthouse, Trancoso villas, inter-leg flights) want locking in now — this is a book-months-ahead window, not a weeks-out one.
    

🎇 Rio de Janeiro Leg 1 · 4 nights · NYE

The brief: a Copacabana beach-club party to watch the Réveillon fireworks, the two icons (Cristo + Sugarloaf), and one big night of live samba. We base in the leafy Zona Sul (Ipanema, Lagoa or Gávea — no need to be beachfront) and drive over to Copa for the countdown.

Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado — Cristo Redentor

Sugarloaf Mountain cable car — Pão de Açúcar

🏠 Where we stay — a villa in the Zona Sul

No need to be beachfront — since the countdown is a Copacabana beach-club party, the house is just our base to live in, eat (chef) and crash. That frees us to take the better neighbourhoods — leafy, residential, with actual standalone mansions + pools. Via concierge brokers (chef, drivers, trainer): WhereInRio & Beyond, Latin Exclusive, LVH Global, Le Collectionist.

🌳 Lagoa

Leafy lagoon-side, quiet, central — big mansions w/ pools + Cristo/lagoon views, ~10 min to Ipanema beach. Strong single-villa pick.

🌴 Gávea

Green, residential, bohemian-upscale — real houses w/ gardens + pools (near Gávea Golf), the quietest. WhereInRio has a Joatinga/Gávea-side infinity-pool villa.

🏖️ Ipanema

The most walkable — beach, dining, nightlife at your feet. Upscale triplex penthouses w/ private pools (Sugarloaf-to-ocean views); fewer standalone villas.

      🏡 Config: one big mansion (Lagoa / Gávea, 8+ BR) for the whole group, or a pair of Ipanema penthouses (~10 each). Dramatic standalone-villa upgrades: Leblon (most exclusive) or clifftop Joá / Joatinga (infinity pools, ocean views, 24h security, ~15 min out).
    

      ⚠️ NYE minimum-stay still bites. Many Rio units want 7–10 nights over New Year and we want 4 — confirm property-by-property; a standalone villa is often more flexible than a beachfront NYE apartment.
    

🎉 New Year's Eve — a Copacabana beach-club party

A table at a premium open-bar + open-food party on Copacabana with a direct fireworks view. We drive over from our Zona Sul base — so book drivers for the night (Copa draws 2M+ people).

← swipe →

Party	Why	Rough price
Clássico Beach ClubBeachfront club	Lead pick — open bar (gin, Aperol, Moscow Mule…) + open food, reservable tables for 6 / 8 so we sit together, direct fireworks view.	tables from ~R$1,000
Pestana Rio AtlânticaHotel deck, faces Copacabana	Premium open bar (champagne), DJ + a samba-school band (Beija-Flor in recent years), privileged fireworks view.	~R$3,990 pp
Rio Othon Palace — "Skylights"31st floor	Intimate ultra-premium party — DJ, sophisticated buffet, the best beach view of the hotel's five parties.	premium
Marina da Glória escunaBoat party	Open bar + buffet on a schooner — a different angle on the show, out on the water.	mid-premium

      🤍 Réveillon traditions. Dress white for luck. ~15–20 min of fireworks fire off barges at midnight — jump 7 waves, white flowers to Iemanjá, champagne on the sand. Copa draws 2M+ people, so a driver/fixer for the days either side is worth it.
    

🌆 The icons & a night of samba

⛰️ Cristo Redentor

Corcovado — go early / off-peak by official van or cog train. Pretty alt approach via Parque Lage (jungle mansion + café) or the Vista Chinesa lookout.

🚠 Pão de Açúcar

Sugarloaf cable car, best at sunset. Marquee add-on: a helicopter tour over Cristo, Sugarloaf and the beaches.

🥁 Samba night (Lapa)

Rio Scenarium (3 floors, reserve tables) or more authentic Carioca da Gema / Beco do Rato; roots-samba at Pedra do Sal (Mon & Fri). Pair with a hillside dinner at Aprazível (Santa Teresa).

🍽️ Upscale dining: Oteque (Michelin-starred) · Lasai · Oro · Fasano Al Mare · Aprazível · Sushi Leblon 🏖️ Beach: Ipanema posto 9 · Arpoador sunset

🛥️ Angra dos Reis Leg 2 · 6 nights · Costa Verde

The natural leg — a 365-island archipelago (so the local saying goes) of calm green water. A private villa with its own dock so the boat day leaves from the doorstep, a full day on the water to Ilha Grande, and a day's diving. Then SUP, hikes and a Paraty day if we fancy it.

View over the bay and islands of Ilha Grande — Ilha Grande

Lopes Mendes beach, Ilha Grande — Lopes Mendes

Coast and bay of Angra dos Reis — Angra bay

🏠 Where we stay — a villa with a dock

⚓ Villa on Ilha Comprida — the lead

Sleeps up to 22, pool by the sea, a pier with 3 docks, full staff already in the rate (cook, housekeeper, laundry, BBQ/drinks, gardener, maintenance) + optional chef & bartender. One house, the whole group, boat at the door (via Villas in Brazil).

🏝️ A whole private island — the splurge

A private-island villa (Latin Exclusive) with 2 chefs, a butler/boat-captain, bartenders, security and a helipad. The boat day is literally off our own beach. The marquee upgrade.

Fasano Angra dos Reis (design resort, huge spa, in-house excursions) stays a great 1-night spa splurge or full-service fallback.

The set-piece days

⛵ Boat day

Charter private — a crewed schooner or 2–3 speedboats, lunch + drinks aboard. Hit Lagoa Azul (snorkel), Lopes Mendes (regularly ranked among Brazil's best beaches), Saco do Céu, Cataguás & the Botinas. Operator: Angra Tours + private charters.

🤿 Diving day

PADI centres in Angra / Ilha Grande — sites at Lagoa Azul, the Botinas, Jorge Grego & wreck dives. Intro dive ~£40–60; certified divers go deeper while non-divers snorkel the same stop.

🌅 The rest

Sunset schooner with caipirinhas · SUP / kayak the calm bays · the Lopes Mendes / Pico do Papagaio hike · a scallop-farm tasting straight off the boat.

🏛️ Paraty day trip (~1h): colonial centre + cachaça distillery + a jeep waterfall tour

🥥 Trancoso Leg 3 · 7 nights · Bahia

The switch-up: resort-y, full-service, remote-work-friendly. The longest leg, so people can work. We prioritise fitness, beach, great food and group days — out of a cluster of villas with a chef and fast Wi-Fi, near Praia dos Nativos.

🏠 Where we stay — a villa cluster + chef

🏡 Two LVH (or NIAMÃ) villas + a shared chef

15–20 needs two villas near Praia dos Nativos. LVH Global supplies on-site steward, housekeeping, field manager + chef (Casa Mia sleeps 10); pair two for a consistent service standard. Local specialist NIAMÃ for adjacent large casas.

🛎️ Full-service fallback

Fasano Trancoso (40 beachfront bungalows, spa) and UXUA Casa Hotel (iconic, on the Quadrado, beach club) — book a block, or use for a 1–2 night splurge. A beach-club arrangement (UXUA Praia / Bahia Bonita) covers day access either way.

The week

🏃 Fitness

Morning run club on Nativos, yoga / Pilates at the villa, surf / SUP lessons, beach tennis, capoeira, local gyms. Chef does healthy menus — easy to run a daily bootcamp.

🏖️ Beaches

Praia dos Nativos (beach clubs), Coqueiros, Itapororoca — reef-protected natural pools at low tide. South: stunning Praia do Espelho (~30 min) and car-free Caraíva (~1h, canoe crossing, forró at night).

🍽️ Food

Capim Santo (the Quadrado institution), El Gordo, Maritaca, Silvana & Cia, Tigre Asiático; moqueca at Espelho. Evenings on the lit Quadrado are the heart of Trancoso.

🐎 Group days: beach-club day · reef snorkel · horseback on the beach · buggy tour to Espelho/Caraíva · villa party night (chef + DJ)

      ✈️ Getting there. Fly Rio (GIG) → Porto Seguro (BPS) (~2h), then transfer ~1.5h via the Arraial d'Ajuda car ferry. For 15–20, a private charter is worth pricing to skip the connection.
    

✈️ Logistics

The route

Fly in → London → Rio (GIG): BA direct ~11.5h, or TAP via Lisbon / LATAM via São Paulo. Land together for NYE.
Rio → Angra: Private vans, ~2.5–3h down the scenic Costa Verde (BR-101).
Angra → Trancoso: Back toward GIG + fly GIG → Porto Seguro (BPS) (~2h) + transfer — or a private charter to skip it.
Fly home ← From Porto Seguro (BPS) via GIG / São Paulo, or reposition to Rio for a direct.

🛂 Visas

UK = no visa. US passports need a Brazil e-visa (as of 2025) — flag for Kevin early. Check any other non-UK passports (Dino's Bosnian one, etc.) before booking.

💉 Vaccines

Yellow fever is advised for the Costa Verde / coastal forest — the jab needs ~10 days to take effect, so sort it well ahead (check current travel-clinic advice).

💳 Money & connectivity

Currency is the Real (BRL) — cards everywhere, carry some cash for beaches/boats. eSIM via Airalo / Holafly (Claro / Vivo best coverage).

🌤️ Weather

January is peak summer — hot, humid, sunny with short afternoon showers. Prime beach season across all three stops.

💸 Budget — rough, per person

Upscale, peak season — the ~£8–12k pp tier we've agreed. These are planning ballparks, not quotes; the two peak windows (NYE Rio, January Trancoso) drive most of the cost, and a villa-share is the main lever to keep the per-head down at 15–20.

← swipe →

Category	Range (pp)
Intl flights LHR ↔ Rio	£800–1,100
Rio · 4 nts NYE (penthouse share)	£1,500–2,800
Angra · 6 nts (villa)	£1,500–2,400
Trancoso · 7 nts (villa cluster)	£1,800–2,900
Domestic flights + transfers	£400–600
Food · drink · boat · diving · NYE party · guides	£2,000–2,700
Total	~£8,000–12,500

✅ Where we're at

Decided — not yet booked

Lodging: private villas + chef, every leg Budget: ~£8–12k pp Rio NYE: all-inclusive beach party + penthouse(s) Angra: private villa with a boat dock

Still open — what we need from you

Headcount: 15 or 20? — decides one vs two penthouses, the sleeps-22 Angra villa fit, and villa count in Trancoso.
Dates firm? — confirm the 29 Dec start + 7-night Trancoso so we can hold inventory.
Paraty — a day trip (recommended) or a split base in the Angra leg?

Next actions (booking-critical path)

Enquire NYE penthouses — fireworks view, capacity, exact NYE min-stay, total.
Hold the Angra villa (Ilha Comprida, sleeps 22 + 3-dock pier) — beds + 2027 rate + chef package.
Hold 2× Trancoso villas (LVH / NIAMÃ) — chef + Wi-Fi + January rate.
Reserve NYE party tables (Clássico Beach Club / Pestana) — price rises by batch.
Price inter-leg flights GIG → BPS for 15–20 (scheduled vs private charter).

Draft plan, v1 — nothing booked. All prices are planning ballparks, not quotes; each gets confirmed from the vendor's own live quote before going to the group (especially NYE-Rio + Trancoso-January). Photos: Wikimedia Commons (scenic, illustrative — not the actual properties).