This was one of the most enchanting places I have ever been. Think wooden verandas, massive butterfly murals, lazy hammocks, fish-shaped pillows, a thatched play-area where the sofas are built into giant granite boulders and a home-made outdoor sauna and ice-cold waterfall shower.

Each day started with breakfast on the veranda where we sampled the local produce including cashew juice, tropical fruits and coconut bread. Then we would spend the day exploring local beaches by kayak; boogie board on Lopez Mendez, snorkel at the Blue Lagoon or take a mountain trek to Parrot's Beak to view the whole island before returning to Sitio for a candlelit meal on the deck. With only nine guest rooms, people quickly get to know each other and share in the chilled-out atmosphere of this quirky tropical retreat.

We stayed four nights at Sitio before travelling to the north of Brazil to trek through the Amazon and then swooped down to the Argentinian border to see the famous Iguacu Falls. Full to the brim with 'adventure' we spent the last few days living it up at the Brigit Bardot-inspired resort of Buzios, just a few hours north of Rio. Two weeks in Brazil and we only skimmed the surface of this amazing country.