Fazenda Cachoeira Grande, a historic coffee farm located less than 80 miles from Rio de Janeiro, is one of several farms dating back to the apogee of the Coffee Cycle in Vassouras (pop. 32,495).
The farm, which once belonged to the Baron of Vassouras and underwent meticulous renovation in the late 1980s, can be visited for the day (advance scheduling required; see tour information below).
Fazenda Cachoeira Grande is a member of Preservale and of Fazendas do Brasil.
View some Fazenda Cachoeira Grande photos.
In 1987, Fazenda Cachoeira Grande was bought by entrepreneur and art collector Francesco Vergara Caffarelli and wife Núbia. Not only did they restore the property with loving care, but also brought a vintage car collection to the grounds.
Francesco passed away in the late 1990s. Núbia remarried and the couple is devoted to preserving the heritage of Cachoeira Grande.
Evoking the farm's past hospitality -- Princess Izabel and husband Count D'Eu were outstanding visitors -- today's guests are treated to a generous serving of coffee and homemade pastries as well as a musical get-together to the sound of a piano.
Call or e-mail Fazenda Cachoeira Grande to schedule a visit.
Triple M, a Rio de Janeiro-based tour operator, offers tours of Fazenda Cachoeira Grande and other historic farms in the Paraíba River Valley.
