Before departure …

We send a registered letter to the child/children of the family upon registration

Dear children,

In the year 1542, the King of France gave me the great honor to name me first in command of the Alcyone, a 120 ton ship, 40 canons and 60 men.
I was given the mission to head towards an unknown land called Terra do Brasil, to patrol its coast and assure the protection of the trade ships threatened by pirates and other filibusters scouring the region.
After crossing an ocean and standing up to two huge storms, we touch land near the hamlet of Rio de Janeiro.
Once our proud Alcyone restored, we disguised it in an armless en inoffensive trade schooner to attract the vermin.
The canons and shells where hidden, the sails, and a fake windlass installed on the forecastle. Our plan functioned wonderfully...
At dawn on the third day of the month of May, we spotted the black of the Akaskhan, the boat commanded by Jeck Finn, called "One-eyed Jeck".
The scroundle though he was robbing peaceful merchants, but when the hooks were in place and his men boarded our ship, the 60 braves of the Alcyone, ship’s apprentices, sailors and commanders, sprung up from their hidden places in the rails. Soon, the battle rages
On board the Alcyone, we all knew that the pirates will not spare any of us; there will be no prisoners if we lost.
In the middle of the melee, I suddenly found myself face to face with Jeck himself.
The vision of his hideous face where could be read cruelty and hate froze me to the core.
He threw his ferociousness at me, and we grabbed one another.
After a few minutes, I took the advantage, and ended slaying Jeck the scoundrel who let go of its last breath while crumbling at my feet.
Thus ended the battle, the men of the Akaskhan, distraught by the death of their chief, ran for their lives.
Jeck was carrying a map indicating the location of the treasure he had accumulated during his decades of piracy.
I looked for it for long months, in vain, before returning to France where I was summoned by our majesty the King.
It is from here, in the house that I have built with my own hands, that I send you my children, the key to the treasure.
It possesses, they say, the extraordinary property of changing depending on who finds it;
If it is a beggar, it will take the shape of a thousand gold coins.
If it is a painter or a poet, it will be his inspiration.
What will it be in your hands, you who will maybe find it, there, in these forsaken lands? ...
To protect this fabulous treasure, I cut the map in four pieces, the first is included in this letter.
To find the other fragments of the map, you will need to cross the ocean as I have done before you.
Once in Rio de Janero, you will have to go to the place described below and follow the lead that I left there.
Created in 1808 by Dom João VI, prince regent, I am a green and peaceful place where you can notably encounter dozens of palm trees exceeding 30 meters in height.
In the hope that my clues, with the help of God, will lead you to One–eyed Jeck treasure.

Ferdinand de Beauvalon

This message includes the first piece of the treasure map: a manuscript in which the ancestor tells the story of the treasure and gives a first indication of the direction to follow: it is imperative to go to the botanical garden of Rio. The child must wear a pendant around his neck during the stay

Enigmas and tests adapted in function of the child’s age.
In the case you are unable to solve an enigma or find a clue, you can contact Terra Cordillera.

Daily program

Day 1: DEPARTURE FROM COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Day 2: RIO / CORCOVADO & SANTA TERESA & SUGARLOAF

Airport pick up (time and flight number to be confirmed) and transfer to the hotel. We settle in, and then visit town with our English-speaking guide.
Our English-speaking guide meets us at the hotel at 9 a.m. for the visit of town.
Climb to the Corcovado, worldwide known symbol of the town of Rio. The ascent to an elevation of 700 meters above sea level will be done by car. Once on the summit, we take the time to appreciate the unique and enchanting panoramic view of the “cidade maravilhosa” (magnificent city).
Rio spreads under our feet, majestic and languid. This advantageous viewpoint gives us a better understanding of the physical and “social” topography of the town.
We descend via Santa Teresa, which used to be one of the wealthiest residential neighborhoods of Rio, at the time when the town was the capital of Brazil and sheltered (below the hill where we are standing) all the principal organs of power.
Surrounded by the agglomeration, the neighborhood has lost its exclusive character, and the wealth of the area has moved to the Southwest of Rio, at Barra da Tijuca.
Santa Teresa shelters today an unconventional population, constituting the bohemian quarter of modern Rio.
We stroll through this neighborhood to get a taste of its quaint and dated atmosphere.
Along it’s narrow and winding streets, we can admire some splendid houses dating from the 19th century and catch a glimpse of the soul of a Rio from another time.
The best way to realize this nostalgic trip is to take the bondinho, a little wooden tramway, and a miraculous vestige from the start of the 20th century, and the most famous symbol of Santa Teresa.
During the descent to Lapa, we visit the colored staircase or "Escadaria do Convento da Santa Teresa", decorated by Jorge Selarón.
This autodidactic Chilean artist is one of the best-known personalities of this neighborhood.
After exhibiting his paintings around the world, he settled in Brazil in 1983 and spontaneously decided to decorate this staircase with a multicolored mosaic in perpetual evolution.
His ambition is to link the neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa, by covering the staircases with thousands of azulejos (faiences). We might have the opportunity to see him at work…
Towards the evening, we head towards the gondola leading to the top of the Sugarloaf (400 m.a.s.l.) symbol of Rio, marking the entrance to the Bay of Guanabara. Return to the hotel at 5 p.m.
Entrance fee to Corcovado and Sugarloaf included. Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Option: Helicopter flight of a few minutes from the mirador of Dona Marta.

Recommended for lunch: the restaurant Sobrenatural
Near the largo dos Guimarães, at the heart of Santa Teresa, the Sobrenatural offers a charming and relaxing decor.
Varied menu to satisfy all tastes, we particularly recommend the fish and seafood plates, to be sampled with a cold beer.

Day 3: RIO / BOTANICAL GARDEN & MOUNTAIN BIKE ON THE BEACHES

At 9 a.m., our English-speaking guide will meet us at the hotel. We enter the lush botanical garden, of which Cariocans are very proud. Each one of the 141 acres of the park shelters Brazilian and worldwide specimens of flora. The principal attraction of the garden, the Imperial Palm trees, where planted under the orders of prince Dom Joao VI, in 1809. These centennial trees are mixed with orchids, vitorias regia, bromeliaceous and flamboyant, in an atmosphere bathing in tropical scents.
We each have time to stroll at our pace, between ponds, and to enjoy the coolness and tranquility of the place. Return to the hotel at 1 p.m.

Paper hunt in the botanical garden.

The child finds the second piece of the map, including coded instructions indicate him that he needs to go to Paraty

After lunch, mountain bike ride on the beaches of mythical names such as: Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon (3 hours / English-speaking guide).
In the evening, a trustworthy and experienced babysitter watch after the children at the hotel to give the parents the opportunity to go out (option the evening in Rio).
Entrance to the botanical garden included. Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Day 4: RIO DE JANEIRO – PARATY / VISIT

Departure from hotel at 9 a.m. in private air-conditioned vehicle with local driver towards Paraty. A 4 to 5-hour drive on a paved road along the Green Coast, lush corridor between ocean and mountains. End of the day open that can be dedicate to strolling in the historical center of the village. Nestled between ocean and the foothills of the Serra do Mar, Paraty shelters one of the most beautiful colonial heritage of Brazil, registered as a word heritage site with UNESCO. Along narrow, paved streets, we discover this incredible heritage, bearing witness to the wealth of the 17th and 18th century. Sublime mansions, four superb baroque churches, one being the church of Santa Rita de Cassia hosting today a museum of sacred art. Paraty is also a very animated town night and day, and counts numerous nearby beaches.

The child finds the third piece of the map and coded instructions telling him to go to the village of Ponta Negra.

Entrance included. Meals not included. Night in pousada.

Day 5: PARATY / FAZENDA MURYCANA & PENHA

Our English-speaking guide meets us at the pousada at 9 a.m.
He drives us (private vehicle) to the Fazenda Murycana, about 10 kilometers from Paraty. The site is located in the mountain, in the forest, in a luxuriant nature.
This place, is also, loaded with history(ies). Known in the year 1700 under the name of " Three Farms ", the fazenda received at this time travelers who would spend a night there before engaging in the gold trail towards the Minas Gerais. In the opposite direction, the conveyers used to stop at the fazenda to hide their precious charge (gold and precious stones) in the forest while they checked to make sure the coast was safe of pirates.
The guide dedicates one hour to the discovery of the property; we find there a small museum, an alcohol of local pinga, the market for local produce gives us a taste of the flavors and traditions of the region of Paraty. Dona Hilda might offer us her "home made" coffee (if she is in a good mood, then for sure).
We the head on a horseback ride across the trains criss-crossing the National Park of the Bocaina. Nature, here, contrasts with the seaside. Surprising mix of altitude and tropical plants. Because of the numerous rivers and waterfalls spread out over the area, the air is cool. The highlight of the day, and a good reason to visit this area, is the group of the waterfalls of Pedra Branca, impressive show of nature.
We can then lunch in a delicious local restaurant (its specialty the suckling pig) before heading for a natural site of exceptional beauty, the cachoeira de Penha.
This gigantic natural limestone toboggan is parfait to spent the rest of the afternoon, in the coolness or rivers and waterfalls.
Depending on the day of the week, visit of a distillery (the area is famous for its cachaça).
Return to Paraty at the end of the day.
Meals not included. Night in pousada.

Option: tyrolienne and rope courses in the trees at the fazenda.

Day 6: PARATY OPEN

Day open to enjoy the town of Paraty. Various optional activities or excursions: sea-kayak, swim in Jabaquara (the closest beach to the town, 15 minutes away on foot).

In the evening, a trustworthy and experienced babysitter watch after the children at the hotel to give the parents the opportunity to go out (option the evening in Parity)

Meals not included. Night in a pousada.

Day 7: PARATY / BOAT TOUR IN THE BAY / private service / service privé

At 9 a.m. the captain drives us to the pier to embark our craft, a fisherman boat equipped for the tour (benches and cushions, cooler).
Day open in the Bay of Paraty, from island to island, beach to beach (with no other company than the captain of the boat).
Stops planned on different sites suitable for swimming or snorkeling surrounded by hundred of fish (mask and snorkel included): ilha Comprida, saco da Velha, praia Vermelha...
Return to Paraty at around 4 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Meals not included. Night in pousada.

Option: English-speaking guide.

Day 8: PARATY - PRAIA DO SONO – PONTA NEGRA

Trek – 3-hour of actual walking - 200 meters of elevation gain - easy

Departure from Paraty at 8:30 a.m. with a local minivan with our English-speaking guide, for the village of Laranjeiras (30-minute trip). The trek starts by a short incline then enters the Atlantic forest (Mata Atlantica), at the heart of the "Ecological preservation area of Joatinga".
After an hour and a half of pleasant walking, we reach, at lunch time, the hamlet of Sono, located on the border of one of the nicest beaches of the region, Praia Do Sono, literally meaning "sleepy beach » invites us, first because of its name and also because as soon as we get back on the road, a short but very steep hill awaits us.
After this climb, the hike becomes a lot less demanding. It is the only difficulty of the walk.
We successively pass Praia Da Velha and Praia Dos Antigos before arriving, an hour and a half later in the fishing village of Ponta Negra.
We stop for the night in this hamlet at the end of the world, in the recesses of a cove with the waves dying on the white sand beach the only noise disturbing our sleep.

In the village, someone recognizes the pendant worn by the child: she shows him the person holding a piece of map preserved there for centuries. It is the fourth piece of map.

Everything included. Night in basic but welcoming huts (private bath and showers – mosquito net).

Note 1: On top of the classic trekking equipment (hiking shoes, backpack, rain poncho…), take a sleeping bag style "meat bag" (in silk or fleece) along.

Note 2: many children in the village of Ponta Negra.

Day 9: FISHERMAN’S LIFE IN PONTA NEGRA

In the morning, the child must pass a test to recieve the fourth piece of the treasure map (test adapted to the child’s age, for example a paddle boat race). The treasure map is now complete and indicate the exact location where the treasure is buried. The child goes there and find the treasure - END OF THE GAME.

Life in the mountainous surroundings of Paraty has changed little over the last 50 years. The day is dedicated to the discovery of the life of a village, living in near autarky thanks to the local resources.
The morning (depending on the weather report), we go fishing with the village men who explain us, while demonstrating, their fixed-net fishing technique.
Back in the village, we visit a manioc plantation and the "flour house" where the manioc is processed and reduced to flour.
After lunch, we leave in the company of a local guide towards a waterfall of crystal clear water.
Depending on the season, visit of the village school, welcoming more than a third of the village population.
All included. Night in hut.

Day 10: PONTA NEGRA - PARATY

Day open in the village. In the late afternoon we hear back, return by boat to Trindade, then with a local bus to Paraty which we reach in the evening.
Lunch included. Dinner open. Nigth in a pousada.

Day 11: PARATY - RIO/ DEPARTURE

Departure from the hotel 7 hours before flight departure time and transfer to the airport for your international flight.

Day 12: RETURN TO YOUR ORIGIN

Warning! During some periods of the year (carnival, New-Year’s Eve, Holy week, 1st of May....), the hotels and pousadas are booked and functioned with a system of "pacote".
It is a flat rate for a number of night (and non-changeable), the rate for each night is superior to the average rate the rest of the year.

Dates indicating the principal national pacotes
12.28 - 01.02 New Year
02.01 - 02.06 Carnival
02.08 - 02.10 Desfile das campeãs (Rio de Janeiro only)
03.20 - 03.23 Holly weeks
04.19 - 04.21 Tiradentes
05.01 - 05.04 1st of May
05.22 - 05.25 Ascension
09.06 - 09.09 Independence Day of Brazil
10.11 - 10.14 Aparecida
11.01 - 11.04 All Saints
11.15 - 11.18 Declaration of the Republic

Included

- English-speaking guide at mentioned locations (Rio - Ilha Grande - Paraty & Ponta Negra)
- Private transportations except when specified
- Hotels in double room with breakfast unless specified (there is no guaranty that you will be served breakfast if you leave the hotel before 6 a.m.) mentioned lunch and dinner “included”
- Entrance fees to sites unless specified
- Visits and excursions mentioned
- Portage of luggage in Laranjeiras - Ponta Negra - Laranjeiras

Not included

- International flight round-trip
- Domestic flights (re: Brazil Air Pass, to be bought outside of Brazil)
- Airport taxes (domestic and international)
- Individual equipment
- Personal insurance
- Lunch and dinner mentioned "not included or open" (starting at $ 6 / per / meal)
- Visits and excursions not mentioned
- Extras
- Tips

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