A villa above the beach.

Five suites. Pedra da Gávea behind. The Atlantic in front.

Inquiry Book direct

— ADV004 · São Conrado

Five suites. The mountain behind. The Atlantic below.

A 900-square-meter villa on the slopes above São Conrado Beach, in a private gated estate cut into the hillside under Pedra da Gávea. Four suites face the ocean; a fifth bedroom sleeps the rest of the party. One pool, one long view — one of the few houses in Rio with the mountain and the Atlantic in the same frame.

Infinity pool with Pedra da Gávea rising behind the glass pavilion of the São Conrado villa.

01 — The setting

Set against Pedra da Gávea.

The villa sits inside a private, gated estate on the slopes above São Conrado Beach, hidden in the Atlantic forest. From the pool deck the cliff face of Pedra da Gávea rises directly behind the house; the Atlantic opens out in front. Nine hundred square meters of glass, steel, and stone on a single elevated platform.

The custom mosaic infinity pool seen lengthways across the pool deck toward the Atlantic.

02 — The pool

A patterned mosaic, edge-to-edge.

A long blue-and-black mosaic pool runs the full width of the deck, tiled in a custom pattern that catches the afternoon sun. Pergola at one end, sun deck at the other, ocean at the edge. Built for ten guests with room to spread out.

Open-plan living pavilion with custom Brazilian chairs and large-scale art, glass walls retracted.

03 — The pavilion

Glass walls that retract on three sides.

Living, dining, kitchen and a media room sit under a single steel-and-glass roof. The walls slide back so on most afternoons the house is open on three sides — pool deck to the front, garden to the back, ocean breeze straight through.

Long polished blackwood dining table set for twelve beneath a woven shade canopy.

04 — The table

Twelve seats under a shade canopy.

A long blackwood table sits at the heart of the pavilion under a woven shade ceiling, framed by large-scale Brazilian art. Set for twelve, used most often by ten — long lunches, slow dinners, the breeze moving through.

Pergola-shaded poolside terrace framing the open Atlantic horizon.

05 — The terrace

Pergola, ocean, far horizon.

A covered terrace sits poolside under woven shade — sofas, low tables, an umbrella over the deck and the Atlantic running out uninterrupted in front. This is the corner everyone ends up in by mid-afternoon, glass in hand.

Ocean-facing master suite with carved-wood headboard and paired pendant lamps.

06 — The suites

Five suites. Four face the ocean.

Five bedrooms with six full baths. The master suite opens onto the ocean and the pool; three of the remaining four also face the water. Beds are king or super-king, custom-built. Linens are crisp; the air conditioning is always on the right setting.

Outdoor shower walled in slab-cut green marble with Atlantic forest beyond the glass.

07 — The bath

Stone tubs and an outdoor shower.

Bathrooms are full-sized and full-feature: stone-clad tubs, twin vanities, walk-in rains. The master gets a green-marble outdoor shower with the rainforest pressing right up against the glass.

Entrance foyer with wood pivot door, slatted screen, and woven shade canopy.

08 — The arrival

A wood-and-stone entrance.

You arrive through a pivot door into a covered foyer — wood screen, polished concrete floor, woven ceiling overhead. The design vocabulary of the whole house is set in this one room: Brazilian hardwood, raw stone, light through fabric.

Aerial view of the villa platform set into the green hillside under Pedra da Gávea.

09 — From above

The house, tucked into the cliff.

Seen from the air, the villa reads as a long single platform set into the hillside under Pedra da Gávea, surrounded on three sides by Atlantic forest. The neighbours are far enough away to be invisible. The mountain is closer than they are.

— Booked direct

The stay, arranged before you land.

Reserving through Art de Vivre means more than the keys. Charles sets up the in-stay layer in advance, so the house is ready and the week is planned the way you want it.

  • Private chef Breakfast on the deck, a long lunch for the whole party, or a full dinner service — a chef who cooks Rio produce and shops the morning markets.
  • Driver & transfers Airport pickup at Galeão, an English-speaking driver on call for the city, and the run down to Leblon and Ipanema handled for you.
  • Boat days A skippered day out of Marina da Glória along the coast to the islands off Rio — swimming stops, lunch aboard, back by sunset.
  • Guided hikes The Pedra Bonita trail behind the house for the city view, or the harder push up Pedra da Gávea with a mountain guide who knows the line.

Guides & journal

Everything we know about this hillside.

Written from the house: how to judge a Rio villa with a pool and a real view, where to stay in the city, and São Conrado in detail, from the beach and the golf course laid out in 1929 to the flight ramp above the ridge and where to eat.

All guides The journal
Everything in the guides, on one map.

The map

Everything in the guides, on one map.

Beaches, trails, viewpoints, museums and markets, with the villa at the centre and the drive times in the guides.

Open the map

— Good to know

Questions, answered.

How many people does the villa sleep?
Five suites sleep ten comfortably, with room for up to twelve. There are six full bathrooms, so a group of families or friends each gets their own space.
What does it cost to stay, and is there a minimum?
Rates are quoted for your exact dates — they move with the season and the size of your party. Message Charles at Art de Vivre for a precise quote. The one-night minimum is the only fixed rule.
Where exactly is the villa?
It sits in a private, gated estate on the slopes above São Conrado Beach in Rio de Janeiro, directly under Pedra da Gávea. The beach is minutes downhill; Leblon and Ipanema are about fifteen minutes east along the coast.
Can you arrange a chef, a driver, or activities?
Yes. A private chef, an English-speaking driver, boat days along the coast, and guided hikes up Pedra Bonita or Pedra da Gávea are all arranged before you arrive, as part of booking direct.
How do I book, and why book direct?
Message Charles on WhatsApp or by email and he holds your dates directly. Booking direct skips the marketplace fees and gives you the in-stay concierge layer — chef, driver, transfers — planned in advance.
Is the villa good for families with children?
Yes — it's suitable for children and infants, with a gated private entrance, garage parking, and plenty of room. Let us know the ages in your party and we'll set the house up accordingly.

Reserve direct

Charles holds the calendar.

Speak to Charles at Art de Vivre for rates, availability, and the in-stay extras — chef, driver, boat days, guided hikes. No third-party fees.

Inquiry Book direct

Photo credits: São Conrado from the air: the beach, the seafront towers and the golf course at the foot of Pedra da Gávea (left) and Pedra Bonita (right)., photo Diego Baravelli (CC BY-SA 4.0); The Ilhas Tijucas off Rio's coast, seen from the air., photo Diego Baravelli (CC BY-SA 4.0); Christ the Redeemer above the clouds at sunrise., photo Donatas Dabravolskas (CC BY-SA 4.0); The Museu Imperial in Petrópolis., photo Marcio Metello (CC BY-SA 4.0); Feijoada carioca with rice, collard greens, orange and farofa., photo Estela Neto (CC BY-SA 4.0); New Year's Eve fireworks over Copacabana (Réveillon 2024)., photo Cesar Vieira (CC BY-SA 4.0) Photo credits →