Paraty travel guide

Pretty colonial town on the Green Coast

Paraty is one of Brazil’s prettiest colonial towns and one of Rio de Janeiro state’s most popular tourist destinations. It is at its most captivating at dawn, when all but the dogs and chickens are sleeping. As the sun peeps over the horizon the little rectilinear streets are infused with a rich golden light, which warms the whitewash and brilliant blue-and- yellow window frames of the colonial town houses and the façades of the Manueline churches. Brightly coloured fishing boats bob up and down in the water in the foreground and behind the town the deep green of the rainforest-covered mountains of the Serra da Bocaina sit shrouded in their self-generated wispy cloud. The town was founded in the 17th century as a gold port and most of its historic buildings date from this period.

At the weekend Paraty buzzes with tourists who browse in the little boutiques and art galleries or buy souvenirs from the indigenous Guarani who proffer their wares on the cobbles. At night they fill the numerous little bars and restaurants, many of which, like the pousadas, are owned by the bevy of expat Europeans who have found their haven in Paraty and who are determined to preserve its charm. During the week, especially off season, the town is quiet and intimate, its atmosphere as yet unspoilt by the increasing numbers of independent travellers.

The town’s environs are as beautiful as Paraty itself. Just a few kilometres away lie the forests of the Ponta do Juatinga Peninsula, fringed by wonderful beaches, washed by little waterfalls and still home to communities of Caiçara fishermen who live much as they have done for centuries. Islands pepper the bay, some of them home to ultra-rare animals such as the tiny golden lion tamarin monkey, which is found nowhere else. The best way to visit these destinations is on a boat trip with one of the town’s fishermen from the quay.