Destination: Paraty
Paraty (you will also see it written Parati) is a very special place. Situated between the Atlantic rainforest and the sea, Paraty is one Brazil’s worst kept secrets.
WE LIKE THE MOST: the historic village and the state of conservation of the historical heritage; the absence of cars in the historic village; the gorgeous beaches; being able to walk on the streets at night; the relaxed atmosphere; the boat trips; the ginger ice cream from Ice Paraty ice-cream parlour; the high tide that floods the streets; dining by candlelight with live music
WE LIKE THE LEAST: expensive prices, resulting from the heavy presence of foreign tourists; the agressions against the Atlantic rainforest; the lack of sewage treatment, it is all dumped on the sea
HOW TO GET THERE: there is a regular bus service from Rio and São Paulo; you can drive to Paraty as well
CAREFUL WITH: the cobblestones, which make for a very uncomfortable walking experience if you are wearing flip-flops; the high tides during the full moon (you can find yourselves stranded depending on the part of the village where you are)
PIECE OF ADVICE:
- to go to Trindade, use the bus, the road is quite dangerous to drive
- sometimes it’s worth paying a bit more to do the boat trip on a schooner with less passengers; some leave the harbour with 8 passengers, others with 50
- avoid Paraty during the FLIP (International Book Fair) that takes place in August. Prices rocket, the place is chock-a-block, and it’s very difficult to find accommodation
- take a waterproof with you, it rains in Paraty all year round
ACCOMMODATION: full listing of Hotels and pousadas in Paraty
LINKS: Paraty, Turismo e Ecologia, Paraty.com, Info Paraty, Paraty Trindade
WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Paraty for the next 10 days
GOOGLE MAPS: map of Paraty
PHOTOS: Paraty
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This post has 3 comments
September 8th, 2009
Hi Tony
Great info on your site about your beautiful country . I will be in Rio from October 22 and after Rio we are thinking of 3 days in Buzios or Paraty ??? I am a keen landscape photographer ,so this is important . I also have been warned NOT to use my expenxive camera Canon 5D Mkll in Rio. Maybe I will take a cheap camera , like all tourists use . Too bad you do not live in Rio , because I would like to meet you .
I am a Canadian ,living in switzerland for 1 more year.
regards
john l
September 8th, 2009
John, a very tricky question I’ve had to answer several times before. Buzios and Paraty are fine. As for Rio, when I went there I took my digital reflex but only used it in places where I knew I was safe. Thankfully that includes quite a number of tourist spots, the top of the Corcovado mountain and the Sugarloaf mountain, the Botanic Gardens, the Maracanã stadium. I didn’t bother with Copacabana beach, wouldn’t feel safe doing so. But if you go to the roof of one of the hotels on the avenue like I did you’ll be able to shoot at will.
May 9th, 2010
If you have any questions about Paraty you can ask at our Facebook page and we will give you an answer as soon as we can.