This retreat is a deep dive into Rio’s culture and identity, guided by Chantal, who’s called the city home for over 20 years. We’ll explore a bustling street market where vendors call out their goods amid colorful fruit stalls and a lively Sunday crowd. In Aterro do Flamengo, families gather for laid-back picnics beneath trees in the city’s largest urban garden. Nearby, we’ll trace ocean silhouettes from Praia do Flamengo before capturing golden hour from a private yacht in Guanabara Bay.

In Complexo da Maré, we’ll co-create portraits with residents for a living community archive, followed by a rooftop BBQ. We’ll seek out wild beaches on the city’s edge and admire Niemeyer’s iconic architecture. At dawn, we’ll walk with the Cariocas who greet the day early—fishermen, kayakers, and others drawn to the quiet pulse of morning.

We’ll photograph layered history in old Rio—from colonial facades to modernist treasures. In the heart of samba, we’ll join the city’s oldest samba school for carnival rehearsals, documenting the behind-the-scenes artistry. To close the retreat, we’ll witness Umbanda ceremonies in an ecological park, where Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous, and Spiritist traditions converge beneath waterfalls and towering trees.