Cunha, between the mountains and time

Set between the Serra do Mar and the Vale do Paraíba, less than 200 kilometres from São Paulo and a short hop from Paraty, Cunha is one of those towns time has treated kindly. Some 25,000 people live among hills cloaked in Atlantic Forest, century-old araucarias, and waterfalls that invite you to slow down.

The town forged its identity through craft. Cunha’s ceramics are known across Brazil: studios in town and in the countryside are home to artists who turn clay into art, and a visit to any of them reveals deep, generational handmade work.

Food follows the same care. Festivals honouring artisan cheese, pine nuts, beer, and mountain flavours fill the calendar, bringing together local growers, chefs, and visitors around a generous table. Between events, restaurants and cafés keep that spirit alive every day.

Nature in Cunha is rich and easy to reach. Waterfalls hidden in the forest, trails with views that stretch to the coast on clear days, and mountain cold that, in winter, makes the town one of the state’s favourite escapes.

Viva Cunha exists to gather in one place what the city offers: where to stay, eat, what to see, and what’s on the calendar — with local curation and respect for residents and visitors alike.