Paraty
Travel Guide

The town of Paraty is different to most of the other colonial towns as it full of character and originality which dates back to the 18th Century and earned its spot as a Historic National Monument and as a UNESCO Heritage site. Considered one of the world’s most important examples of colonial architecture, your knowledgeable guide will take you through the narrow cobbled streets while telling you about the legends and history from the last century. Stopping along the way as several intricately decorated churches, the museum, and some of the old and beautifully restored houses. There is an entrance fee for visiting the churches and the Cultural Center which is not included in this excursion. Throughout the tour you’ll be happily snapping away and taking videos of this historic, living and breathing museum and at the end of the excursion, your guide will drop you off at your hotel.

Enjoy a Jeep ride into the National Park of Serra da Bocaina, visiting several waterfalls and maybe swimming under some of them, distilleries of cachaça, the famous Gold Trail and other attractions. This tour is an excellent opportunity to see some of the flora (bamboo, jequitiba, palm trees, bromeliads, etc) & fauna of the region and all it’s preserved biodiversity.

Paraty has 65 islands and many beaches of uncommon beauty. It is surrounded by exuberant vegetation that makes it a quiet and unbelievable place to stay. The waters are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Traditional tour with different routes for each day of week, it has four stops with about 40 minutes in each place, being one of them for lunching (la carte) aboard. At these stops is possible to dive with mask and snorkel for this we can do it in a clear and warm water. Inside this 4 stops we have one that became essential, for tourist wishing, the Ilha Comprida which is more known as natural aquarium of fishes, when the people from the boat drop of rice beside it they come out, surround the boat and the people diving, it is perfect to take pictures.

Explore this charming fishing village located just 15 miles to the southeast of Paraty. Following a short ride, you’ll stop off at a beach near to the small village of Ranchos. From here you’ll begin your guided trek (about 40 minutes) through the verdant rainforest and past 3 other heavenly beaches to the naturally-formed swimming pool of Caixa d’Aco. In the crystal clear and calm waters you can go swimming, snorkeling or just relax on the beach admiring the paradise around you. Having had some time to relax at the beach, your excursion will continue to the the main village of Trindade for lunch (not included) and some free time to relax and enjoy the sun and golden sand. Along the beach there are a number of local restaurants and kiosks selling traditional Brazilian seafood dishes and drinks which you can buy and take them to enjoy on the beach.

This tour can combine different routes through the rainforest, visiting waterfalls, farms and landscapes with a view over the bay of Paraty. There are different routes for each day, and the one you take very much depends on the weather. Your guide will be available at all times to point out the local flora and fauna and whichever route you take today, you’ll be sure to have a fun horseback riding experience.

Paraty and the Costa Verde benefit from a stable climate in which the annual temperature sits around 86˚F (30˚C) most days. The hottest and wettest seasons come together between December and March, which is Brazilian summer. Brazil’s winter months between June and September are slightly cooler, but the days are peppered with sporadic tropical downpours. As with everywhere in Brazil, if you want to experience it at its most lively, come in February/March for Carnaval. The best time to visit for the most temperate weather is between May and August, when the humidity is lower and temperatures are around 22-32ºC.

Paraty and the Costa Verde are located about 4 hours or 124 miles (200km) from both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, making the area easily accessible from either city. International and domestic flights operate regularly to both of these main cities, and from there you can reach Paraty by roads that wind through spectacular jungle and alongside the stunning coast and its beaches. The town is best explored on foot, and no cars apart from taxis are allowed in the historic centre. Taxis themselves are very pricey, so make sure to negotiate a good price before getting in the car. Local buses will bring you from the main station to destinations further afield.

Paraty has a well developed tourism infrastructure, and offers accommodation to suit everyone’s tastes. Because of the town’s location, almost every hotel will offer stunning views towards the sea from the bedrooms. Seafood is a local speciality, and you can try local fish at one of the many restaurants dotted around the town. Bus services run up and down the coast, but taxis are also reliable and affordable. If you would prefer to hire a car or to have private transport for the duration of your stay in Paraty to enable you to visit the surroundings in a more hassle-free manner, just speak to one of our travel advisors and they can arrange this for you as part of your itinerary.