Guides & Resources

Everything we know about Paraty

Practical pages first, then the full library — written from the host's side of the desk.

What's worth your time, how to get there, what to skip. Start with the map and the practical pages, then dig into the guides below.

Tool

The satellite map

Every beach, island and waterfall on one interactive map.

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Practical

Tours & experiences

Schooner cruises, jeep tours, kayaking, diving and walking tours.

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Practical

Getting here & around

From Rio or São Paulo by car or bus, and how to move once you arrive.

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Paraty Guides

The town, the beaches and the bay

Paraty Guides

The historic center

How to walk Paraty's colonial center: the cobblestones, the churches, the tide that floods the streets on purpose, and w

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Paraty Guides

The best beaches

Paraty's best beaches ranked by a local host: Jabaquara, Pontal, Paraty-Mirim, Praia do Sono and Antigos — and exactly h

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Paraty Guides

Trindade

Trindade's four beaches and the Piscina Natural do Cachadaço: how to get there from Paraty, the trail to the natural poo

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Paraty Guides

Waterfall country

The waterfalls above Paraty: the Tobogã rock slide, Poço do Tarzan's rope swing and Pedra Branca's pools — how to reach

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Paraty Guides

Cachaça country

Paraty was once Brazil's cachaça capital — its name meant the spirit itself. Visiting the alambiques on the Paraty-Cunha

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Paraty Guides

Saco do Mamanguá

The Saco do Mamanguá near Paraty: an 8 km fjord-like inlet for kayaking, caiçara villages, and the Pão de Açúcar do Mama

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Paraty Guides

FLIP & festivals

Paraty's festival calendar: FLIP literary festival, the August cachaça festival, the Divino celebration and more — dates

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Paraty Guides

When to visit

Paraty by season: when it rains, when the water is clearest, when crowds peak (and vanish), and the months we'd pick for

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Paraty Guides

Where to eat

Paraty's food scene by type: caiçara seafood and moqueca, the cambuci fruit, cachaça bars, beach barracas and the histor

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Paraty Guides

The Gold Trail

Hiking Paraty's Caminho do Ouro: the colonial stone road that carried gold from Minas to the port — history, guided hike

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Paraty Guides

Caiçara culture

Who the caiçara are: their fishing and canoe traditions, food, the communities at Praia do Sono and Mamanguá, and how to

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Paraty Guides

Flying to Paraty

Flying to Paraty airport isn't as simple as it sounds — there's no scheduled service. Here's how to choose between Rio a

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Paraty Guides

Luxury villa guide

How to rent a luxury villa in Paraty: hillside-view vs centre vs beach, what high-end villas offer, what to ask before b

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Paraty Guides

Marinas & mooring in Paraty

Where the boats go in Paraty: the town wharf and anchoring, the local marinas, the full-service yards up in Angra dos Re

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Paraty Guides

Natural Pools

A host's guide to Paraty natural pools and waterfalls — Poço do Tarzan, the Tobogã slide, Cachadaço and forest swimming

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Paraty Guides

48-Hour Plan

How to spend 48 hours in Paraty: one boat day on the bay, one town-and-waterfall day, honest timings, meals and tips for

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Paraty Guides

Paraty Adventure

A local host's guide to Paraty adventure activities: jungle treks, canyoning, waterfalls, diving and the Pico do Mamangu

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Paraty Guides

Beach Kiosks

A local's guide to Paraty beach kiosks and bars — quiosque culture, petiscos, caipirinha on the sand, sunset drinks and

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Paraty Guides

Paraty boat tours

An honest, in-depth guide to Paraty boat tours: group schooners, private charters, speedboats and water taxis, the islan

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Paraty Guides

Cafés & breakfast

A local's guide to Paraty cafés and breakfast: café da manhã culture, padarias, pão de queijo, tapioca, real coffee, aça

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Paraty Guides

Churches & Sacred Art

A plain-spoken guide to Paraty churches — Santa Rita, the Matriz dos Remédios, Rosário and the small chapels — their bar

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Paraty Guides

Diving & snorkelling

An honest guide to diving and snorkelling in Paraty and the Costa Verde: visibility by season, the best snorkel spots, s

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Paraty Guides

Fine Dining

A local host's guide to fine dining in Paraty: contemporary Brazilian tasting menus, chef's tables, seafood, wine and ca

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Paraty Guides

From São Paulo

Getting to Paraty from São Paulo, compared: driving via Taubaté or Cunha, the bus from Tietê, and flying into GRU or VCP

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Paraty Guides

Paraty honeymoons

Plan a Paraty honeymoon: how many days, a day-by-day honeymoon arc, the most romantic experiences, where to stay for pri

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Paraty Guides

Paraty in summer

Paraty in summer, honestly explained: December–March heat and humidity, the afternoon rain pattern, bath-warm sea, New Y

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Paraty Guides

Paraty in Winter

A local host's guide to Paraty in winter — dry, clear June to August, the best snorkelling visibility, cool nights, thin

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Paraty Guides

Paraty itineraries

How many days in Paraty? Day-by-day 3, 5 and 7-day itineraries balancing the town, a boat day, waterfalls and cachaça, b

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Paraty Guides

Kayak & SUP

A local host's Paraty kayak SUP guide: the calm Mamanguá fjord, mangroves, guided vs self-guided routes, safety, gear an

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Paraty Guides

Paraty nightlife

An honest look at Paraty nightlife: chorinho, bossa and forró in colonial dining rooms, cachaça bars and botecos, festiv

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Paraty Guides

Paraty photography

A photographer's guide to Paraty: empty colonial streets at dawn, the tide that floods the centre, Santa Rita's reflecti

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Paraty Guides

Paraty rainy day

What to do in Paraty in the rain: the old town under the eaves, churches and sacred art, cachaça tastings, cafés and coo

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Paraty Guides

Romantic getaway

The most romantic things to do in Paraty, ranked, plus how to plan a 2-4 night couples' break, the best spots for sunset

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Paraty Guides

Paraty Seafood

A local's guide to Paraty seafood restaurants — the harbour fish houses, beach kiosks and moqueca specialists, plus what

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Paraty Guides

Sunset Cruises

A Paraty sunset cruise is the easiest way to see the bay glow gold. What golden-hour sailing is like, choosing a boat, b

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Paraty Guides

Paraty & UNESCO

The Paraty UNESCO World Heritage story: the 2019 mixed culture-and-biodiversity listing, the gold-cycle town, the Atlant

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Paraty Guides

Paraty with kids

An honest guide to Paraty with kids: calm shallow beaches, boat days, waterfalls with safety notes, the cobblestone town

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Paraty Guides

Pool villas above Paraty

A plain guide to choosing a Paraty villa pool view: infinity pools, altitude, privacy, the three-way bay view, and why s

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Paraty Guides

Praia do Sono

How to reach Praia do Sono near Paraty by trail or boat, the caiçara village, the walk on to Antigos, swimming, what to

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Paraty Guides

Private Boat Charter

A clear, honest guide to private boat charter in Paraty — lancha, schooner or sailing yacht, real costs by group size, c

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Paraty Guides

Private Chef

How to hire a private chef for a Paraty villa stay — the provisioning, a caiçara seafood dinner on the deck, and long, l

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Paraty Guides

Stargazing Above Paraty

A practical guide to stargazing Paraty: why the dark hills above the bay show the Milky Way and Southern Cross, the best

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Paraty Guides

Wellness & Slow Days

How to plan a Paraty wellness retreat: yoga on the deck, in-villa spa and massage, forest bathing in the Mata Atlântica,

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Costa Verde & Islands

Ilha Grande, Angra and the Green Coast

Costa Verde & Islands

Ilha Grande day trip

How to day-trip from Paraty to Ilha Grande: tour boats vs the Angra ferry route, what to do in Abraão, Lopes Mendes, and

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Costa Verde & Islands

Angra dos Reis guide

A travel guide to Angra dos Reis on Brazil's Costa Verde: the 365 islands, Lagoa Azul, Ilha Botinas, schooner and speedb

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Costa Verde & Islands

Island-hopping Angra

How to island-hop the Angra dos Reis islands: the best day routes, Ilha Grande versus the archipelago, boat logistics, a

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Costa Verde & Islands

Wild Aventureiro

A practical guide to Aventureiro Ilha Grande: the leaning palm, the remote southern beaches, camping versus a day trip,

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Costa Verde & Islands

Costa Verde beaches

Our ranked, opinionated guide to the 15 best beaches of Brazil’s Costa Verde — from Lopes Mendes and Trindade to Praia d

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Costa Verde & Islands

Costa Verde overview

What and where the Costa Verde is: Brazil's Green Coast between Rio and Santos, its rainforest, UNESCO listing, headline

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Costa Verde & Islands

Cunha day trip

Cunha, the cloud-forest ceramics town above Paraty: noborigama wood-fired pottery, lavender, mountain food and the sceni

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Costa Verde & Islands

Ilha do Algodão

A local's guide to Ilha do Algodão Paraty, the outer-bay islands, snorkelling coves and the mouth of the Saco do Mamangu

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Costa Verde & Islands

Ilha Grande guide

The complete Ilha Grande travel guide: how to get there, where to stay in Vila do Abraão, the best beaches and trails, w

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Costa Verde & Islands

Ilha Grande trails

A local guide to hiking Ilha Grande: the marked T-trails, Lopes Mendes, Pico do Papagaio, Dois Rios and Lagoa Azul — wit

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Costa Verde & Islands

Lagoa Azul & Angra

A local host’s guide to Lagoa Azul Angra — snorkelling the Blue Lagoon, Ilha da Gipóia’s anchorages and how to reach the

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Costa Verde & Islands

Lopes Mendes

A local guide to Lopes Mendes beach on Ilha Grande: how to get there from Abraão, the surf, no facilities, best light, a

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Costa Verde & Islands

Fishing Trips

A local host's guide to Paraty fishing trips on the Costa Verde: what you catch, caiçara fishermen, cook-your-catch, lic

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Costa Verde & Islands

Rio–Santos Drive

A practical, honest guide to the Rio Santos road BR-101 along Brazil's Costa Verde: scenery, stops at Angra and Ubatuba,

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Costa Verde & Islands

Rio to Paraty drive

How to drive from Rio de Janeiro to Paraty: the BR-101 Rio-Santos route, around 250 km in roughly four hours, the best s

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Costa Verde & Islands

Serra da Bocaina

Serra da Bocaina National Park: the Atlantic-forest mountains above Paraty, from coast to 2,000m. Trails, waterfalls, th

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Costa Verde & Islands

Ubatuba beaches

A local guide to Ubatuba, the beach town just south of Paraty: its 100+ beaches, the surf at Itamambuca, the Projeto Tam

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Stay above all of it

The chalet is a short drive from every page on this list. Ask us about dates.

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