Pousada Pé na Areia

Cool things: the girl at reception. Because the other guy spent all day watching TikTok without raising his head, so rude. The first room had a very strong damp smell; the cleaner told me it was the smell of disinfectant. Disrespectful. Point for them, they changed our room, and since there was no room available, they upgraded us. Buuuut, the other room was smaller, without a closet, and (listen to this because I've never seen it anywhere in my life) A TRANSPARENT BATHROOM DOOR... when someone wanted to go to the bathroom, the other had to go outside. Crazy. Also, the water pump is located above this particular room, so I could feel it turning on and off all the time. A MESS. The breakfast was pretty bad; they run out of things and no one is there to replenish them. Plus, you eat at the restaurant next door, which has only a few tables, and they have to turn on the lights because it's so dark and small. A disaster for what they charge. One last thing, the location is excellent.

We'd stayed there in July 2016 and found it to be a nice guesthouse—nothing spectacular, but prices in line with what they offered. In August 2023, prices had skyrocketed incomprehensibly, especially if you chose the cancellation policy. Since August is low season in Brazil, and therefore there was plenty of choice on the island, we booked a few days in advance because, while the price was high, it was less expensive, and the pousada's location is excellent. It's a shame that the room we were given this time was significantly worse than the one we'd had last time, as the window faced the communal terrace (meaning poor lighting and a lot of noise). The bathroom was in dire need of renovation, there wasn't even a hairdryer, the towels and sheets were subpar, and the breakfast was about average for Brazil, at best barely above the bare minimum. The staff is friendly, but they can't quite make up for it.