Ibiti

minas gerais, brazil

Ibiti

Project, Eco Lodge

Since october 2023

Ibiti is a socio-environmental project dedicated to creating harmony between humans and nature in the mountains of Minas. Our focus is on sustainability, community, and innovative education.

Ibiti’s journey started in 1982, with the purchase of Fazenda do Engenho, which inspired the creation of Engenho Lodge. Today, the owners manage over 6,000 hectares of forests and mountains for rewilding, and recovering native flora and fauna, such as the critically endangered Muriqui Monkey.

Ibiti invests in the region's economic sustainability through regenerative tourism and other nature-based business models. It also keeps The School of Life for the local community, promoting local Minas Gerais Culture and a deep connection with nature and inner resources. Ibiti’s goal is to create a fertile environment for happiness, fostering harmony between people and nature

CONSERVATION

The Ibiti Refaunation Program reintroduces native fauna to the area, including species like the paca, cougar, and the critically endangered Muriqui Monkey, which are all indicators of a healthy ecosystem.

The ASAS Project rehabilitates and releases rescued wildlife including birds and mammals that are victims of trafficking. Once rehabilitated, all wildlife is released back into the wild.

COMMUNITY

An Environmental Education Program educates employees, locals, and students about environmental care, with activities like visits to our recycling shed, compost heap, and vegetable garden.

The Life School offers a rural education model that emphasises a connection with the community and the land. All activities are designed to promote peace and harmony with the environment.

CULTURE

Accommodation options, such as Engenho Lodge and Casa Carlinhos, fuse the local Minas Gerais farm culture with touches of exclusivity and sophistication. Guests can experience life in a rural area like Mogol, a local village with just 22 residents.

The Yucca Restaurant follows a garden-to-table philosophy using healthy, organic, and vegetarian ingredients sourced locally.

COMMERCE

The Eco Print project neutralises Ibiti’s carbon footprint by taking over areas undergoing natural regeneration to offset our ecological footprint. Visitors who use vehicles are charged a fee that supports this project.

Our commitment to sustainability includes sourcing 90% of our ingredients locally. This supports regional agriculture and ensures fresh, seasonal produce in our restaurants.

Ibiti’s Highlights

Accommodation -Mogol is a where one of the diverse hospitality categories of Ibiti is located. This category, called Village, aims at giving the guests the experience of living in a small traditional village in Minas Gerais, while also involving and bringing opportunities to the local community.
Experiences - A typical trail that guests take while staying at Ibiti, Circuito das Aguas is an opportunity to see the beauty and biodiversity of this region. Ibiti is located in a unique place: it is a convergence point between three biomes: Mata Atlântica, Cerrado and Caatinga, which contributes to its high biodiversity.
The Muriqui Project is a unique conservation project that aims to protect and reestablish the Muriqui population in the region. The Muriqui Monkey is the largest primate in the Americas and there are only 900 individuals left in nature. The project began with 2 males that were left in the region and now has 7 individuals and the first in the world to be born in temporary captivity.
The Big Family statues built by American artist, Karen Cusolito, represent humanity's relationship with the divine in its different forms. They were initially showcased in the Burning Man festival, where they watched an oil tower burn, as a criticism for humanity's adoration of oil. Now, according to the artist, they have returned to their natural habitat, adoring Nature.