From Berwick to Brazil, how bar owner found a corner of paradise

Ten years ago, Berwick businessman Mark Dixon left the town for a new life in Brazil. Little did he know that he would go on to help build and run '˜one of the most beautiful hotels in the world'. Here, he tells his story.
Mark Dixon at La Ferme de Georges.Mark Dixon at La Ferme de Georges.
Mark Dixon at La Ferme de Georges.

My passion for kitesurfing led me to North East Brazil, and after a chance meeting with Shannon Best, twice wakeboarding world champion and owner of Best Kiteboarding, I took on the post of sales manager for NE Brazil.

I designed and built a beach house in front of a world class surfing break and purchased and reformed a small hotel aimed at kite surfers from Europe and North America.

Bedroom at La Ferme de Georges.Bedroom at La Ferme de Georges.
Bedroom at La Ferme de Georges.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was a success, but the area soon became overcrowded and I decided to look elsewhere.

I had heard about a secret kiting spot further North in Brazil, a place called Atins on the edge of the Lencois Maranhenses, a 1,500sq km area of dunes that recently earned its status as a national park.

The park harbours hundreds of turquoise lagoons, providing a visual spectacle that has featured in National Geographic and is regarded as one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

It is also one of the most isolated, with no paved roads, no postal service, no telephone signal, no shops, no police force, etc. It was like stepping back in time.

La Ferme de Georges.La Ferme de Georges.
La Ferme de Georges.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I decided to sell up and make Atins my new home. I opened a kiteboarding school on the beach, and after studying Napolitana pizza-making, opened an acclaimed pizza restaurant.

In my spare time I started making furniture and began to take an interest in local construction methods, following my passion for art and interior design.

It was then that I was approached by French businessman Pierre Bident Moldeva, who had settled in Atins. He asked me to design and build an upmarket boutique hotel – the only condition was that it had to be chic.

Young architect Yorick Piette was flown in from Brussels and together we set about designing the hotel, based around the concept of an organic farm. Yorick drew up the plans, returned to Brussels, and despite having no previous experience of reading construction plans, I started the project.

Chalet at La Ferme de Georges.Chalet at La Ferme de Georges.
Chalet at La Ferme de Georges.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The first problem was getting the building materials on site. The nearest supplier was a two-hour drive away, across some of the world’s most difficult terrain. In the dry season it’s a scorching desert with temperatures reaching 40C, in the rain season it is almost impossible to pass as the desert is filled with huge lagoons.

I had to calculate the volume and weight of material, then decide how to bring it on site. I used large fishing boats, tractors, 4x4s and even bulls and carts. There are no construction companies so I rounded up a small team of local fishermen and set about making the dream into reality.

Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that my ‘construction team’ could not read or write so it was impossible for them to understand the plans. I had to measure and mark everything as we built.

The next problem was the unstable energy to run the power tools. It was so weak that only one machine could be used at any time so we had to resort to hand tools. I studied carpentry and cabinet making as I knew the local workers would not be able to handle the high level of finishing required and we had to make all the furniture and decoration on site.

La Ferme de Georges.La Ferme de Georges.
La Ferme de Georges.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Due to the tropical climate I had to adapt the plans as it became clear that the intense sun, heavy rainstorms and strong winds would have a big impact.

I decided to stay during the heavy rain season to study the weather and make sure the construction could cope with the elements. I wanted the chalets to offer guests the feeling of being outside with nature, but at the same time be well ventilated, offer shade from the sun and withstand the rain.

Unfortunately, the rain also brings mosquitos and I twice ended up critically ill in hospital with blood infections.

As the project advanced, each day brought new challenges. Each of the seven chalets would need separate water towers with solar-powered hot water systems and waste tanks. There was nobody qualified to install electricity so I had to study intricate wiring diagrams and handle it alone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Along with my team of five workers, we worked between 12 and 15 hours every day for over two years. In June 2015 La Ferme de Georges finally opened its doors.

Over the past 16 months it has gained widespread recognition, including rave reviews from The Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor and booking.com.

La Ferme de Georges.La Ferme de Georges.
La Ferme de Georges.

The restaurant is regarded as one of the finest in North East Brasil, using fresh organic produce from our gardens, and was the subject of a documentary on French TV channel TF1, attracting five million viewers.

The icing on the cake was in December 2016 when La Ferme de Georges was hand-picked by the Design Hotels Group as one of the most beautiful hotels in the world – one of only 277 to be featured worldwide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It said: “The beauty of nature serves as an inspiration for the architecture and design of La Ferme de Georges.

“Mark Dixon – head chef, carpenter, cabinetmaker and kitesurfing instructor – along with young architect Yorick Piette created a cluster of structures fashioned from local wood, brick and palha, or straw, which are typical of the Brazilian coast.

“The seven white-walled chalets were designed to harness cool breezes for natural ventilation, and are separated by swathes of greenery, dissolving the boundaries between inside and out. The interior aesthetic could be described as tropical minimalism.”

What next? Well I know a couple of organisers of the Burning Man festival in Nevada and would love to organise a similar event in the Lencois Maranhenses National Park