Parati Things to Do

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Parati is mainly a marvelous old Portuguese settlement by a sea dotted with islands. But if you look inland the wonders are also there, with the luxuriant jungle bordering the old ways used to bring gold from Minas Gerais to the coast.

In most places is hard to disguise the limits between nature and plantation.

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The Fazenda Murycana outside Paraty is a very nice place to visit for the day if you want to do something a bit different. It is a very old partially reconstructed farm at the start of the gold trail. The fazenda has its own distillery with free samples, a restaraunt selling traditional meals, a treetop rope walk and horse rides to nearby waterfalls.

10 km from paraty, there is a trail build by the indians in 1767 to transport the gold found in Minas Gerais to Paraty.
This is a guided trekking available from wed to sunday. People meet at "Teatro Espa?o" - downtown Paraty and go in a small van until the trail. From there, it's 12 km up.
It requires a bit of phisical effort but some things make it worthwhile:
1) A "frigo-burro"- sort of a horse carrying sodas and water
2) The breathtaking scenary
3) the farm where you will have lunch. Wonderful home made brazilian food
4) the waterfall on the way.

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The local beach is not very appealing, but, by car or by boat, all around Parati is full with secluded or wider beaches, inviting you to swim.

Angra dos Reis is famous for those beaches, maybe because it is closer to Rio de Janeiro, But Parati has nothing to loose in comparison.

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If you are not a Portuguese and never visited Obidos, for instance, you will not understand the feelings and sensations of walking those cobblestone streets, lined with those familiar houses, in a present full of past, there understanding the real meaning of "Pais irmao" (Brother Country).

This is a feeling only available to Portuguese, but the beauty and authenticity will hurt you the same.

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Maybe I should place this tip in the "Out of the beaten path" group, because this is a difficult to access beach, that even surprised our Brazilian driver, who asked me how did I know about its existence. Well... readings, I said.
(A well prepared trip has this advantages)

It is a very beautiful isolated beach, with the extra and unexpected attraction - to cross an Indian reserve to get there. But that deserves another tip.

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The first and most famous attraction in Paraty is the Centro Historico, a historical monument with its architecture from Brazil's colonial period. Today the centre is well-preserved tourist area, filled with good restaurants, bars, shops with local handicrafts, galleries and churches. It is usually full of street vendors, artists and performing groups. The main praça (square) features the town's principal church and many sidewalk cafes.

Paraty is a perfect place simply to wander around without any particular plan. Each turn of the corner brings another picturesque view. You can walk the cobblestone streets of Paraty hours and hours admiring the details of all those colourful and centuries-old buildings. It will certainly give you the greatest enjoyment :)

Be sure to wear good walking shoes as the stone streets are sometimes not so easy to navigate.

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A jeep tour from Paraty is a very interesting way to pass the day.
They mostly take you up to the atlantic rain forest which is located just outside paraty and they also tend to stop at a cahcaca destillery where you can have free tastings.
Many of the trips also stop at some very scenic waterfall up in the jungle where you can swim.
All in all it´s a very pleasant and interesting way to spend a day.