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Meet Your Vilmar, The Gaúcho Who Lives Isolated in a Cave in Santa Catarina: A Routine Without a Fridge and Living with Bats.
Those who face the 50-minute climb up the hill come across a unique and impressive life story. The gaúcho Seu Vilmar decided to leave the hustle and bustle of Porto Alegre to live isolated in a cave on the Santa Catarina coast. The place, formerly known as Toca da Ripina, has become his personal refuge, where he found the tranquility that big cities never offered.
Since his arrival in 1990, Vilmar has transformed the rocky crevices into a complete and organized home. The space, which previously housed only a small wooden cabin of 4 square meters, now features defined areas for cooking, working, and resting.
His adaptation to the wild environment has been total, allowing him to take deep roots in the Atlantic Forest, far from the conveniences and stresses of modern civilization.
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An Architecture Integrated with Stone
Seu Vilmar’s dwelling is an example of creativity and utilization of natural space. What would seem like just a pile of rocks to many became a functional home with different rooms adapted under the stones.
The current bedroom, for example, is a small suspended cabin made from lightweight ceiling wood, supported by 21 pieces to ensure stability without the risk of falling.
The workspace and kitchen also occupy strategic spots in the crevices. Vilmar used wattle and daub techniques on some walls and organized his utensils meticulously.
Interestingly, he lives peacefully with the original inhabitants of the place: the bats. According to him, coexistence is calm and he is not bothered by the presence of the animals, which inhabit the darker areas of the cave.
Life Without Electricity and Natural Food
The routine of someone living isolated in a cave requires strict adaptations. There is no conventional electricity at the site; nighttime lighting is provided by candles, and Vilmar usually sleeps and wakes up early, following the sunlight.
The only piece of technology present is a small solar panel, used exclusively to charge his cellphone. The absence of a fridge has shaped his diet, based on foods that do not spoil quickly and on the use of organic products.
In the kitchen, the wood stove is the star, serving for both meal preparation and heating on cold nights.
Vilmar’s creativity extends to utensils: he makes his own plates and bowls using coconut shells.
Water is sourced directly from a nearby spring, ensuring a supply of fresh drinking water.
Sustainability and Ancestral Connection
Seu Vilmar’s diet is enriched by what the forest itself provides. He consumes native fruits like araçá, pitanga, guabiroba, and araticum, as well as bananas that he planted. For seasoning, he uses resources from the forest, such as pink pepper harvested from the aroeira.
Salt has been replaced by miso, a soybean paste that helps with preservation and flavor, demonstrating a lifestyle focused on health and simplicity.
In addition to physical survival, the choice to live isolated in a cave has a strong spiritual and philosophical component. Vilmar keeps alive the tradition of chimarrão, which he considers a connection to his ancestry.
From the natural viewpoint of his home, he enjoys a privileged view of Praia do Maço and Naufragados, even spotting whales at certain times of the year. For him, solitude is not a burden but an opportunity to be calm and better understand life.
Would you have the courage to leave all the comforts of the city to live in a cave like Seu Vilmar?
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