But one man living in Brazil has turned his dream into reality. He lives right on the beach. Literally, on the beach. Because he is living in a sand castle, and has been there for the last two decades.
Marcio Mizael Matolias lives in a rather large sand castle on the Barra da Tijuca beach in Rio De Janeiro, and has lived there for 22 years. “I grew up in the Bay of Guanabara, I always lived on the beach,” Marcio said in an interview with The Sun. As a young man he decided he wanted to continue the beach life. And his impressive abode gets a lot of attention.
Lots of people have heard about his sand mansion and plan their trips around being able to see his home. “I have become a sort of tourist attraction,” Marcio explained. Naturally lots of children are drawn to the sand castle. But others stop by and peruse the used book shop Marcio has set up on the beach. He uses the proceeds from the second hand books to pay for food or other items that he needs.
The locals have even given him a crown, since he does inhabit a castle after all. The makeshift throne outside is a popular place for children and adults alike to get a picture in front of Marcio’s impressive beach home.
And the sand castle isn’t entirely constructed out of sand. Sturdy driftwood planks hold up the weight of the decorative beach house. The interior of the abode has an almost 10 foot square bedroom!
But you’d think that because the home is made entirely out of natural materials that Marcio would get cold at night. But you’d be wrong. “The sand holds all the heat, so sometimes at night, I can not sleep here,” he explained. “I’ll spend the night at a friend’s house, but I prefer it here even if I have to lie outside by the sea.”
Though his sand castle requires lots of maintenance, Marcio wouldn’t have it any other way. Since he’s living on the beach, Marcio’s rent and utility bills are nonexistent. “People pay exorbitant rents to live in front of the sea, I do not have bills and here I have a good life,” he explained. Beach front without the bills, we’re in!
