If you are in Rio de Janeiro during their summer and want to get away from the heat, going up to Teresópolis which is 2,858 ft above sea level may be the solution. It is about a one hour and a half drive from Rio under normal traffic conditions. An old but rather charming place to stay in Teresópolis is Pousada Chamonix. The rooms and its decor are a bit dated but the hotel is located near the entrance of the city in a neighborhood called Alto. The reception is exceptionally nice and the location is about 4 blocks from the main road going into town. They are always fully booked from Fridays through Sundays during the summer. A reasonably adequate breakfast is included with the price of the room. During the time we were there, the wi-fi was not working except in the swimming pool area. On Saturdays and Sundays when the Feirinha do Alto (a sort of flea market walking distance from the hotel) is open, one may find some handcrafted items at very reasonable price. Also there is a Shopping do Alto which has a very good restaurant that opens during the week-end - Bon Appétit.

I enjoyed my stay here tremendously. The fireplace in the room made it very cozy.

We had great difficulty in getting a definitive email response from this Pousada, and ended up just turning up at the desk. It was a long weekend, but they managed to fit us in to an otherwise full hotel. The style reflects the many Swiss and German settlers in the area from the 1800s and we had fun looking at the Brazilianized version of Swiss decorations. A comfortable room and great breakfasts contributed to our enjoyment. In addition the Pousada has a number of swimming pools including a heated indoor plunge pool next to a gymnasium. Excellent value for money.