In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Etnia’s bungalows are dotted around the woodland and linked by paved pathways, so each offers plenty of privacy. They’re all styled according to a different geographic theme, with spacious Gipsy decorated with a Romanyish blue and red palette and including an endearingly kitsch Madonna statuette among its ornaments. Goa, by contrast, offers a stylised slice of hippy India, and Trancoso evokes the local village, with simple murals of rural buildings and a wooden four-poster. A smaller bungalow, Kyoto conjures Japanese minimalism in red and white and unlike the others, features a futon bed.
- Packing tips
- Insect repellent never goes amiss in these tropical climes, but otherwise just make sure you’ve a stock of holiday reading to skim through, some haiavanas to flip-flop around in, and a mind for some serious relaxation.
- Also
- A trained masseur is on hand to soothe your joints with a Watsu massage (water therapy), and the hotel’s own personal trainer runs free Aqua gym sessions three days a week.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- A bottle of champagne on arrival
- Current special offer
More photos
Etnia Pousada
Bahia, Brazil[view map]
- Style
- Jungle gem
- Setting
- Hipsters’ hang-out Trancoso
Bahia’s peaceful fishing village of Trancoso’s been a choice destination for wanderlust-struck creative types since the Seventies, but Etnia Pousada ups the luxe a notch, offering eight woodland bungalows each styled with a different ethnic influence. In the hands of anyone other than the fashionista/design guru owners, it could all slip into kitsch, but smart, sensitive style prevails – together with an air of absolute serenity and back-to-nature bliss.
Need to know
- Rooms
- Eight bungalows.
- Rates
- Low season, €137–€178; high season, €178–€228, including breakfast; excludes 15 per cent taxes.
- Check-out
- Midday, although both check-in and check-out are flexible, depending on availability.
- Facilities
- Massage treatments, personal trainer, library, furniture and antiques boutique, free WiFi in all rooms. In rooms: TV, minibar.
- Poolside
- Occupying a clearing in the lush flora beside the open-air restaurant/chill-out area, Etnia’s pool is surrounded by cosy sun chairs.
- Also
- Three-night minimum stay. Rates increase for the Christmas and New Year periods.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The freshest fish, classic Mediterranean-fusion creations and chicken dishes dominate the lunch menu at Etnia’s open-air poolside restaurant. In the evening, take your pick of the restaurants in Trancoso’s Quadrado (main square).
- Dress code
- Brazilian boho-chic.
- Top table
- Sit out in the breeze on the decking around the pool.
- Last orders
- Etnia only offers (excellent) breakfast and lunch, but snacks are available until 10pm.
- Room service
- The kitchen can prepare light meals and nibbles to be delivered to your bungalow throughout the day.
- Hotel bar
- A selection of drinks, including three locally made wines, is available from the restaurant area, but you’re more likely to make the two-minute stroll into Trancoso, which has plenty of tempting watering holes.
Also worth knowing
- Children
- This hotel is better suited to couples - leave the children at home!
- Weddings
- This hotel is suitable for weddings. More…
Smith Members offer
A bottle of champagne on arrival
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Smith travel team
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Etnia Pousada
Av Principal s/n
Trancoso
