Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Eco Caminhos. We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This comprehensive Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, apply for our programs (including Ecotourism, Volunteer, Internship/Research, and Study Abroad), or interact with us in any way.

This policy is designed to comply with strict international data protection regulations, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD - Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados).

2. Information We Collect

We only collect information that is strictly necessary to provide you with our services, process your applications, and ensure your safety during your stay. The types of data we may collect include:

• Identity Data: First name, last name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and passport or ID number (required for legal and accommodation purposes in Brazil).
• Contact Data: Email address, billing address, phone number, and emergency contact details.
• Financial Data: Payment card details and billing information (processed securely through certified third-party payment gateways; we do not store your full credit card numbers).
• Sensitive/Health Data: Dietary requirements, allergies, or specific medical conditions. Note: This data is collected strictly with your explicit consent to ensure your health, safety, and well-being during your stay at our farm.
• Technical & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, and interaction metrics on our website (collected via cookies and tracking technologies).

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases and for the following purposes:

• To fulfill a contract: Processing your application, managing your bookings, organizing your accommodation, and facilitating your program at Eco Caminhos.
• Legal obligations: Complying with Brazilian immigration, hospitality, and tax laws which require us to register guest information.
• Legitimate interests: Improving our website, enhancing user experience, ensuring network security, and preventing fraud.
• Consent: Sending you promotional communications, newsletters, and processing your sensitive health data (which you can withdraw at any time).

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Data

Eco Caminhos does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your data only under strictly controlled circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, processing payments, or managing our emails (e.g., RD Station for marketing automation). These parties are bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
• Legal Authorities: If required by law, court order, or governmental regulations (such as the Brazilian Federal Police for foreign visitors), we may disclose your information to the relevant authorities.
• Corporate Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred, provided the receiving party agrees to uphold this Privacy Policy.

5. International Data Transfers

Because Eco Caminhos is located in Brazil, information collected from you (including if you reside in the European Economic Area - EEA) will be transferred to, stored, and processed in Brazil. By using our services, you consent to this transfer. We ensure that such transfers are performed using adequate security measures and rely on legally approved transfer mechanisms to protect your data rights.

6. Data Security and Retention

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Access to your personal data is restricted to employees and agents who need to know that information to process it on our behalf.

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Once the retention period expires, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the GDPR and LGPD, you possess extensive rights regarding your personal data. At any time, you have the right to:

• Right of Access: Request copies of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of any information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Request the deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit the processing of your personal data.
• Right to Data Portability: Request the transfer of the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you.
• Right to Object: Object to our processing of your personal data, particularly for direct marketing purposes.
• Withdrawal of Consent: If we rely on your consent to process your data, you have the right to withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our website effectively.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Eco Caminhos. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites. We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites that you visit.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, or need to lodge a complaint, please contact our Data Protection Officer: