As a Paraty resident of over 20 years I have accumulated a huge amount of first-hand experience in helping people plan their trip to Paraty. From the active over 50s to young families, from hardcore hikers to luxury travel, from backpackers on a budget to the rich and famous (with and without paparazzi!); indigenous leaders to BBC Natural History documentary makers. Yoga retreats, kayak expeditions, charity challenges, cruise ship shore excursions, school and university groups, over the years through Paraty Explorer I’ve done it all. So read on for help on planning your trip to Paraty. If there’s additional information that you feel would be useful then get in touch.
Southeast Brazil itinerary: a guide to visiting the Costa Verde
Brazil is huge. Kind of obvious but easy to forget. Be careful when planning your trip so you don’t spend too many days sitting around at airports, on flights, or on buses. See Iguaçu Falls and explore the Amazon from Manaus! Sounds tempting but would you really recommend a Brazilian visit Rome and Oslo on the same trip to Europe? Include London and Istabul on the same European itinerary? The distances are almost the same.
So don’t overstretch yourselves. Consider Brazil as a place for 3 or 4 trips (we’re confident you’ll want to come back for more! ‘Volte sempre’ as they say in these parts). My own personal bucket list for Brazil as a gringo resident of over 25 years just keeps getting longer and longer no matter how many places I visit.
From personal experience a great 2 week first trip to Brazil takes in the highlights of south east Brazil. If you get the itinerary right this can be varied and fun, a truly Brazilian experience.
None of your friends will understand if you come all the way to Brazil but don’t go to Rio de Janeiro. Genuinely iconic sights are in abundance - the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Scratch below the surface and you have the Selaron steps, Santa Tereza, the Jardim Botanico. Worried about safety? Well, so is everyone else. The general message from almost everyone I meet is Rio is nowhere near as bad as expected. Keep your wits about you, don’t do anything stupid and you’ll be alright!
Next stop Paraty. After the hustle and bustle of Rio head towards picturesque Paraty and dive into Brazilian history, culture and nature. Paraty is so much more than a 2 night stop if you do it right. It’s a chance to explore the Atlantic Forest and soak up the beach culture at islands and beaches. Get off the beaten path and spend the night in Mamangua for exceptional hiking, kayaking, swimming and snorkelling.
It’s tempting to add Ilha Grande, Buzios, Ubatuba or Ilhabela to the itinerary. These are great places to visit. But, again, how much time do you want to lose travelling between destinations?
To round off the trip, if you have the budget, then make sure you fly to the (genuinely!) spectacular Iguaçu Falls. 02 nights should do it… the Brazilian side of the falls in the afternoon of arrival day and a full day on the Argentinian side the next day. Depending on your flight out you can also squeeze in the Bird Park on departure day, a personal favourite, but I often meet people who were disappointed.
So, whilst you could easily stop at more places given more time I think this is the best starting point for as a basis for a 2 week itinerary in the southeast of Brazil.
Days 01-03 Rio de Janeiro
Days 04-09 Paraty (including overnight stay in Mamangua Tropical Fjord)
Day 10-12 Iguaçu Falls
Day 13 Rio de Janeiro
As for the rest? Well, you’ll just have to come back to see more of this extraordinary country!
How many days in Paraty?
Once you’ve decided on including Paraty on your trip itinerary this is the next big question. I recommend a minimum of two nights to do the place justice. It’s not a short journey to Paraty so there’s little point in staying only one night. Our recommended 3 day itinerary covers the 3 main elements of Paraty – the historic old town centre; the islands and beaches in the bay; and the waterfalls in the Atlantic Forest behind Paraty.
Whilst spending over 20 years in Paraty like me may seem a bit excessive, I would definitely argue that you can easily spend a very enjoyable 5 or 6 days here and still want more. There are so many things to do in Paraty that you could do something different every day. But don't forget you're on holiday and make sure you include a lazy day doing nothing by the pool, nothing more challenging than a stroll round the historic centre.
Paraty has been recognised by UNESCO as a natural and cultural World heritage site. Although dominated by the colonial old town centre don’t overlook the natural surroundings of the Atlantic Forest. An overnight trip to a remote fishing village is a great way to get off the beaten track and really explore the local Caicara culture and nature.
Things to do in Paraty
This is the problem. There are so many things to do in Paraty that it’s easy to spend a week here without repeating yourself or getting bored.
My brother has visited 4 or 5 times over the years and each time he manages to experience a totally different Paraty. Whilst he always fits in the classics - the historic old town centre and his favourite beach (Sono) - there’s always something else he hasn’t seen yet.
Checked out the historic centre? Then head to the beach. Or better still spend a few nights in a remote fishing village. Already visited the jeep tour waterfalls? Hike out into a more remote part of the Atlantic Forest.
Whilst the boat and jeep tours are a great way to explore the beaches and islands, rainforest and waterfalls of Paraty make sure you look beyond the standard things to do. Feeling active? The hiking, kayaking, canyoning, bird watching and Stand Up Paddleboarding are all world class activities in Paraty.
How to get to Paraty from São Paulo
There are plenty of options available to get from Sao Paulo to Paraty – both private and public – including buses, taxis and minibus transfers. Something to suit all budgets.
São Paulo to Paraty – getting there for more info.
How to get to Paraty from Rio
Rio de Janeiro is the closest major city to Paraty and has the best transport links. There are plenty of options available to get from Rio de Janeiro to Paraty – both private and public – including buses, taxis and minibus transfers. Something to suit all budgets.
Rio de Janeiro to Paraty - getting there for more info.
Where to stay
Unlike many tourist destinations around the world Paraty is not dominated by sprawling resorts and large chain hotels. Instead there are a great many small Bed and Breakfast (B&B) style Guest Houses known in Brazil as Pousadas that make staying in Paraty quite a unique experience. As with the rest of the country there are also no shortage of Airbnb rentals to stay at. For hotels booking.com is the the leading platform for Paraty.
For a more complete Paraty experience it’s best to stay in the UNESCO listed old town historic centre itself. As a pedestrian only area you really get to feel like you’ve stepped back in time. There are plenty of options from luxury hotels to Airbnb rentals. Accommodation does tend to be more expensive so you may be better off staying just outside the old town centre in one of the adjoining neighbourhoods. Also, the live music can be very loud during the bigger festivals in Paraty so best to avoid accommodations close to the Main Square. Check the cultural calendar before booking – the loudest ones are Carnaval (as you would hope!); the Cachaca festival; and the Bourbon Jazz festival.
Just over the Pereque-Acu river from the old town the Pontal and Cabore neighbourhoods offer quick and easy access to the historic centre. There are plenty of Pousadas and Airbnb rentals to suit most budgets.
Jabaquara beach is a little further away from the old town (20 to 30 minute walk) but has plenty of options. It only really tends to get busy during the Brazilian summer holiday months of January and February and the National holiday long weekends.
If you have a car then the Portal neigbourhood works well and if you want a bit more nature and peace and quiet you can try the Morro da Praia Grande or the road up the mountain behind Paraty which goes to Cunha. There are lots of options on this Paraty / Cunha road.
Prefer to stay closer to the beach? Then try Trindade, a small fishing village about 40 minutes from Paraty by road.
Looking for something more adventurous? Then check out accommodations in the remote fishing villages only accessible by sea or walking trail. Personal favourites include the villages of Ponta Negra, Pouso da Cajaiba, Mamangua Bay and Sono beach.
Best time to visit
Like everywhere else in the world it’s becoming increasingly difficult to predict weather patterns. A cold night in January causing you to reach for a blanket was unheard of 20 years ago. Heavy rain in May pretty unlikely. But in the last few years we’re experiencing unexpected extremes in the weather.
That said, the weather still tends to follow the regular seasonal patterns. You just might get the odd surprise. My personal favourite time in Paraty is May and June. A dry and sunny period with daytime temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius and the sea is still a great temperature for swimming. It’s also low season so there are far fewer visitors in town, at the beaches and hanging out at the waterfalls and swimming holes in the forest.
But Paraty gets visitors all year round so don’t feel the need to restrict yourself to certain months of the year to avoid wet or dry seasons.
Is Paraty safe for tourists?
Paraty is a safe place for tourists to visit. As a pretty colonial town it certainly looks that way but be aware that this is still Brazil and Paraty has the same social problems that you find in all the major cities in Brazil. If you want to get into trouble we can tell you where to go and what to do. Fortunately no one has ever taken us up on this offer! Although Paraty is a small town we find that the best advice to give to international visitors is to behave as you would visiting a major European or North American city. Enjoy yourself. Just turn up the dial on your level of alertness, keep your wits about you and try not to do anything silly.
Do I need a car in Paraty?
On balance I would say you don’t need a car in Paraty. But it can help. Having a car will make you more independent and you can visit beaches and waterfalls off the beaten track. This is especially useful during high season when many of the easily accessible villages and beaches and waterfalls get a lot of visitors.
However, if you do bring a car the chances are it will sit in the car park most of the time. Spending time on the water stopping at islands and beaches is one of the highlights of any visit to Paraty. On land there are plenty of tours to beaches and waterfalls.
There is an extensive public bus network (bus journeys of up to 40 minutes) if you’re on a budget. But be aware that buses often get delayed or simply cancelled without notice. As a resident this drives you crazy. As a visitor maybe you can see it as a bit of local colour.
The Uber app works in theory but in practice it’s unreliable and best avoided. Best to get driver/ car recommendations from where you are staying.
Paraty Weather
As an adventure tour guide obsessing about the weather comes with the job. Will it be too hot? Will they get the rain forecast wrong again? What are the safety limits for guiding kayak tours on windy days? The weather is major factor for all the day tours and multiday trips Paraty Explorer operates.
Talking about the weather is one of those very few truly universal traits that people have across the world. And in Paraty there’s plenty to talk about. There are four recognisable seasons in Paraty and sometimes it feels you can get all four of those seasons in one day. Or even in one hour! Blazing sunshine followed by overwhelming humidity leading to torrential rain. Best to treat the short term weather forecast as a guide to what might happen.
For my definitive take on the weather in Paraty based on over 20 years as a Paraty resident have a look at Paraty Weather and don’t forget your raincoat, high factor sunscreen and a hat!
What to know before coming to Paraty
Some tips to help you plan your trip to Paraty:
WhatsApp: download it and get ready to use it! At times it feels like the whole of Brazil is operating on WhatsApp. If you don’t get a quick response to your email then send a WhatsApp message.
Electricity: mostly 110v but double check if you are staying in a house rental. Brazil has 2 associated plug types: type C (2 round pin) and type N (3 pin, mandatory since 2010). Two-round-pin Europlugs also fit into many Type N sockets. A US flat-blade plug (Type A/B) does not fit the round-pin Type N socket. Best to bring a travel adapter for Type N plug.
If visiting between May and October pack some warm clothes (fleece or light jumper) just in case.
Tea drinkers! Bring your own bags just to be on the safe side.
Leave the high heels at home! And avoid making it any more difficult to walk around the old town with its unevenly cobbled streets.
Cash or cards? Cash has almost disappeared in Brazil. Or rather few places will have change for you if you try to pay in cash. Cards are accepted almost everywhere and it feels like almost everyone has a little card machine to process payments. Avoid going home with Brazilian currency!
What is PIX? Pix is an instant digital payment system created and operated by the Brazilian Central Bank. It enables free instant transfers between individuals in Brazilian Real 24 hours a day. Pix is the largest payment method in Brazil (almost 10 times for transactions than credit and debit cards combined) and you will see signs accepting Pix payments everywhere.
Learn some Portuguese phrases before you come. Almost all international visitors that I meet observe that English is much less widely spoken than they expected. Brazilians are warm and friendly, great fun to be with and a little Portuguese will go a long way to making your trip more enjoyable.
