Day 01: Welcome to Brazil

• Nov 21st – Friday

Arrival to Belo Horizonte & Welcome Dinner
Sketchers arrive in Belo Horizonte, settle into accommodations, and receive a welcome gift. In the evening, we gather for a relaxed group dinner to kick off the experience — an opportunity to meet fellow travel sketchers, review materials, get oriented, and set creative intentions for the journey ahead.

See FAQ’s for flight recommendations on getting to Belo Horizonte.

(Included: Dinner)

Day 02: Ouro Preto

• Nov 22nd – Saturday

Afternoon Sketching in the Historic Center
After breakfast, we check out and travel in our van with our private driver for the entire trip to the historic hill town of Ouro Preto. Once settled, we’ll head out for our first sketching session in town where you’ll warm up by sketching the dramatic topography, steep colonial streets, and signature red roofs. This is a great opportunity to explore shape, rhythm, and early impressions of Brazil’s rich architectural heritage.

Day 03: Ouro Preto

• Nov 23rd – Sunday

We begin the day with a workshop sketching architectural elements, deep shadows, and balanced compositions. In the afternoon, we’ll explore the city’s artisan streets and casually sketch storefronts, windows, and doors, focusing on repetition, color, and texture. For those who want to finish the day with a panoramic view, we’ll walk to a lookout to sip on a drink and admire the view together.

Day 04: Tiradentes

• Nov 24th – Monday

Arrival & Afternoon in the Square
After arriving in Tiradentes and settling into our pousada, we’ll spend the afternoon in Largo das Forras, a relaxed open space surrounded by colorful buildings, small shops, and plenty of benches. This is a good moment to work on figure-ground relationships, loosen up with fast studies, or sketch the stone pavement and corner façades as the late-day light shifts.

Day 05: Tiradentes

• Nov 25th – Tuesday

We’ll begin with a structured workshop at Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio, one of the most photographed churches in Brazil. Its symmetry, elevation, and ornamentation offer lots to work with. The afternoon is free: you can return to a favorite spot, sketch at a café, or build a full spread based on a single intersection or streetscape.

(Included: Dinner)

Day 06: Paraty

• Nov 26th – Wednesday

Coastal Town Arrival & Afternoon Sketch Session
After checking in and having lunch in Paraty, we’ll head to the harbor for our first seaside sketch. The mix of boats, whitewashed colonial buildings, and still water offers a strong foundation for working with light and reflection. This is a slower-paced session, ideal for soaking in the mood of this historic coastal town.

Day 07: Paraty & Boat Tour Swimming

• Nov 27th – Thursday

Boat Tour, Swimming, and a Slower Sketching Rhythm
In the morning, we’ll take a private boat tour through the calm turquoise waters of Paraty Bay. We’ll swim in quiet coves, and have lunch on an island where a restauant is nestled on a big boulder. Sketchbooks can come along, but this part of the day is more about enjoying the rhythm of the sea. After returning to shore, we’ll hold a workshop in the central plaza with charming restaurants and banana leaf trees all around.

Day 08: Arrive to Rio de Janeiro

• Nov 28th – Friday

Copacabana Beach & Sunset at Arpoador
After settling into our hotel in Rio, we’ll head straight to the beach. The afternoon is for relaxing, swimming, and enjoying the wide stretch of sand along Copacabana. This is a slower, more open day, time to unwind, sketch casually if you’d like, and soak in the energy of the city’s shoreline. As the sun begins to lower, we’ll walk to Arpoador, the iconic rocky point between Copacabana and Ipanema. It’s one of the most loved sunset spots in Rio. Bring your sketchbook if you feel like drawing, or just sit back and watch the light shift across the water and mountains.

Day 09: Iconic Rio de Janeiro

• Nov 29th – Saturday

We’ll begin our final day with a morning workshop in the gardens of Parque Lage, a lush park at the foot of Corcovado. With its tropical foliage, historic mansion, and open views of Christ the Redeemer in the distance, it’s the perfect setting to reflect on the trip and work on layered compositions that bring together mood, detail, and atmosphere. After the session, we’ll have lunch at the café inside the park, surrounded by palm trees and studio spaces.

In the afternoon, we’ll head up to Christ the Redeemer for a final sweeping view over Rio, an iconic moment to end on. That evening, we’ll gather for a farewell dinner, sharing sketchbooks, stories, and the visual journal you’ve created over the course of the retreat.

Day 10: Farewells and Maybe More?

• Nov 30th – Sunday

Our retreat officially ends today with farewells and departures from Rio. Take the morning to rest, repack, or enjoy a final walk along the beach. For those heading home, this is the close of a rich sketching journey across Brazil’s historic towns and coastal landscapes.

For anyone looking to continue the adventure, you’re welcome to join an optional extension north to Bahia, where we’ll spend a few quiet days in Caraíva, a car-free village set between the river and the sea. It’s a place of hammocks, sandy paths, and warm water. No schedule, no pressure, just time to unwind, swim, and draw as much or as little as you’d like.