Bahia, Brazil Real Estate: Between Ilheus and Itacaré, 4 km from sandy beach; Small farm close to beach in Bahia - incredible opportunity  

Asking Price: $50,000
Location: Between Ilheus and Itacaré, 4 km from sandy beach
City: Ilheus
State/Province: Bahia
Country: Brazil
Type:

Fazenda Santa Barbara
Fazenda Santa Barbara is a smallholding situated not far from the main road Ilhéus – Itacaré. It lies in the triangle between the villages of Tibina, Retiro and Aderno.
The farm is situated 4 kms off the main road, which allows for quietness away from the main tourist attractions, but being close enough to enjoy a daily dive in the glorious Atlantic Ocean. Endless sandy beaches, surrounded by coconut palms are just a 10 minutes' drive away. This is the ideal location for someone who loves the peace and quite of the rainforest but wants to be close enough to civilisation to enjoy beach, sun and surf.
The farm has an area of 14 hectares, about half of which is covered with rainforest and the other half has been in use as pastures. In the past there have been plantations of oranges and cocoa and in the forest there is still an area where there are the remains of an old cocoa plantation, now cleared and ready to be replanted.
There is a plantation of banana and cupuaçu (a Brazilian fruit used for juice), and a garden has been in use for vegetable production.
The farm is on a dirt road, and three times a day a bus passes that goes to Ilhéus.
Ownership
The farm is currently owned by a Dutchman and a Brazilian lady, who bought it a few years ago. Because of family reasons they want to sell it. The “right of use” (“pós”) is in their name and the título (ownership) will be transferred to their name in 2008. Both will be transferred to the new owner after selling the property. There are no mortgages or other loans attached to the farm, nor any other claims by anyone whatsoever.
The neighbours
Many of the farms and smallholdings in the area have been bought already by Europeans and well-off Brazilians. There is a German couple nearby, as well as Swiss, Dutch and other nationalities. There is a strong emphasis on sustainable development, and most new owners maintain their farms using organic principles.
House
There is a 3 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), kitchen/living room and a veranda all around. The floors are all laid out with ceramic tiles and the kitchen has a stainless steel work top. The bathrooms are small but have a toilet and a shower each. There is no mains electricity yet, but the house is prepared for it with wall sockets and light switches.
Around the house there is a home orchard of half a hectare with about 40 cocoa trees, bananas, mango trees, jabuticaba, jack fruit, bread fruit, pitanga and some other fruit trees for home consumption.
The land
The land on Fazenda Santa Barbara covers an area of approximately 14 hectares. The borders are well-documented on the official owners' contract. The whole farm is fenced off with barbed wire and there are no disputes with any neighbours about farm borders.
The farm consists of five different fields, as well as an area of rainforest. Within the forest there is an area where in the past cocoa has been grown, and which has been prepared recently for a new cocoa plantation.
Future developments
There are two important developments that will greatly increase the value of the property in the next couple of years. Firstly, all preparations have been made by local authorities to connect the area to the mains electricity network. The village of Tibina is already connected, and from there work is in progress to connect all the farms between Tibina and Aderno. Surveying work has been done and Fazenda Santa Barbara is included with two connections, one for the house and one for the workshop. It is expected that the farm will be connected to the mains grid in 2007.
The second important development is the planning of an international airport near Ilhéus. At the moment Ilhéus has a domestic airport with regular flights to Salvador, São Paulo and other destinations. After construction of the international airport however, a huge boom in international tourism can be expected, and the farm can be developed with this in mind. Holiday cottages, accommodation, eco-tourism, horse-riding activities, etc. are all possible options.
Price: €40,000
Contact:
Arjen Huese
Emerson College
Hartfield Road
Forest Row
East Sussex
RH18 5JX
England
phone: 0044 778 779 28 29
fax: 0044 1342 82 60 55
email: arjen(a)huese.nl