In ITS SToRIED PAST, THE ATLAnTIC CoAST oF TRAnCoSo In
Bahia, Brazil, was a thriving town, a midpoint for Portuguese
sailors on long voyages. Five centuries later, members of the
globe-trotting beach crowd—including Britain’s Prince Andrew,
model Gisele Bündchen and fashion designers Georgina
Brandolini, Valentino and Calvin Klein—have rediscovered
this fishing village with its armada of pleasure boats, aged
churches and conspicuous lack of automobiles. Fewer than
eight miles long, Trancoso offers the irresistible lure of pristine
beaches, ancient ruins, shopping and plentiful restaurants,
such as Capim Santo, one of the oldest spots serving traditional
Bahian cuisine. In this easygoing environment, the Do Not
Disturb sign is in clear view.
Fernando Droghetti, a Brazilian entrepreneur, began his love
affair with the hamlet 30 years ago. once home to just 12
maritime families, the village changed forever in the 1980s
when electricity and telephone service came to town—and
shortly thereafter, eateries, boutiques and sun-seekers. Still,
not every quaint charm was wrung from Trancoso. There is
no outdoor lighting in the old square, the Quadrado, which
overlooks the ocean along one breathtaking edge. And wild
horses roam freely, fed by the locals. It is no surprise that by
the late 1990s, Droghetti had fallen for a charming Portuguese
colonial-style house in town.
“Trancoso’s native society is a vivid mix of East African, Indian
and Portuguese with some Spanish influences. It is at the
crossroads of several cultures. I had the opportunity to create
anything I wanted,” Droghetti explains, “but I love colonial
