City of Paraty: curiosities and tips!
The county of Paraty is one of most important places to visit at the Green Coast. Like the name says “Green Coast” (or Costa Verde in portuguese) shows the preserved Atlantic forest area between two different states: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. If you want to go to Paraty, we have two ways: from são Paulo by Paraty-Cunha road or from Rio de Janeiro by BR-101. During your trip you can see the typical woods and pure air!
In this post, we going to talk about the curiosities of the city. After that, if you have any doubts about the tours and what to do, you can check out post about Paraty Tours.
History of Paraty
Before the portuguese arrival and the foundation of the city of Paraty, there is an indigenous tribe called Guainá. A lot of historians try, until today, to discovery the myths and the culture of the guaianás that became extinct without any documents about them. Inside the coat of arms of Paraty, we can see a green square the represent the native people and their importance. Unfortunately, the only describe that we have about them is travelers diaries written in the colonial times.
In the 16th century, there is the arrival of the Portuguese. Paraty was the city that it has all the economical cycles since the colonial times until the Republic: sugar plantations, gold, coffee plantations…
The portuguese discover gold mines two centuries later and they going to built a road to conect the city of Paraty and Minas Gerais state. This road is call the Royal Road. All gold and precious stones will be sent to Paraty, and then to Rio de Janeiro and Portugal. Few decades later, the portuguese are going to built the second Royal Road, from Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro.
When gold start to be less frequent, the brazilian govermment decide to replace gold and plant coffee. The port of Paraty is going to be used again! In that moment, we going to have in the city houses with two floors and the new Main Church.
In the 1920s, we have an episode that shakes not only Brazil but the world as well: the 1929 crisis. From that moment, we start to industrialize the country and Paraty finds itself in its greatest economic decline. The city really stops in time – that’s why a such preserved historical center. Only after the construction of the Rio-Santos stretch, we have a better way to reach Paraty and rediscover the region.
Now we live the Paraty Tourism cycle. And the city unites everything we are looking for in a perfect destination: waterfalls, beaches, history, culture, gastronomy… Locals also say that if on your first visit you skip the iron chains that delimit the historic center, your heart will be stuck in Paraty forever. And it happened to me!
Currently, according to IBGE’s 2014 sense, the city of Paraty has over 50,000 inhabitants. In 2019, it was claimed by UNESCO a World Heritage Site, along with Ilha Grande. This title does not just declare the importance of historical center but also the environmental reserve of Serra da Bocaina.
Paraty is also known for being a city of festivals. There are a lot of options from religious festivals, the traditional Cachaça Festival, the International Literature Fair and the Ceramists Festival. Every weekend, the city mobilizes to host a different festival and annual calendar with pre-set dates. To learn more, just access this site here. My favorites are: Easter, a jazz festival called Bourbon and FLIP.
Paraty is not just the Historical Center
Don’t limit your visit to Paraty to the Historic Center. I know it’s hard to compete with the cobbled streets, colorful houses and bay view, but we have other options for you to have the best experience!
Vila de Trindade: From Paraty to Trindade is a 40-minute to 1-hour trip. The village of Trindade has long been known to be a fishing and caiçaras village, native to the area. In the 1970s it was discovered by several hippies and currently has a lot of souvenir shops and restaurants with delicious typical foods. Many tourists, during high season, prefer to escape the historic center of Paraty and rent rooms in hostels, hostels or Airbnb in Trindade. The nightlife of Trindade is getting more and more busy, so during your visit, find out if there is a festival going on there!
Besides that, Trindade has beautiful beaches. To learn more, visit the Paraty Beaches post with the best tips for planning your visit.
Ilha do Araújo: This island is 10 minutes from the historical center of Paraty. A lot of locals offer the service to cross from the port to Ilha do Araújo and it is a very different tour. Like the village of Trindade, Ilha do Araújo was known to be a fishing village, but nowadays it has get attention to those who enjoy an experience tourism. There you can understand better how the caiçaras live, have a typical Paraty food and visit the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul.
A tip! If you are visiting Paraty in July, be sure to check out the Festival of St. Peter and St. Paul. Every year there is a beautiful parade that takes the images of the saints from Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Church to the island. The crossing is made by boats and is very beautiful!
Pontal and Jabaquara Beaches: These beaches are located in the bay of Paraty. We don’t recommend these two to swim because they are close to the center, but the tip here is gastronomic. On these beaches, which are 10 and 25 minutes from the historic center, you will find several kiosks, bars and restaurants with great options for lunch, drinks and snacks. It’s a great choice to watch the sunset, or relax at night (I like more the Jabaquara beach). During holidays and festivals, it is quite common to have shows and events at Pontal beach.
Paraty that not everyone knows…
If you want to discover a different Paraty that some people don’t know about, we have two amazing recommendations!
Paraty-mirim Indigenous Reserve: Close to Paraty-Mirim beach, we have an Guarani tribe indigenous settlement. This reserve is already recognized by the National Native Americans Foundation and live about 36 families producing handicrafts and agriculture. It’s quite common, during your walk at the historic center, to see the typical Guarani handicrafts: the colorful baskets. To visit the village, just have to call. It will be an unforgettable experience.
Quilombo Campinho da Independência: In the direction of Ubatuba by Rio-Santos road, we have the Quilombo do Campinho. Quilombo’s restaurant has already won several awards and is a great choice to learn more about the local cuisine (try the Quilombo’s fish!). However, Quilombo do Campinho is much more than just a restaurant, residents offer a tour telling all the curiosities and stories of the place.
Like the Paraty-mirim indigenous settlement, we have families living in Quilombo do Campinho. It’s said that 3 slaves women inherited the place after the abolition of slavery and then they start the community. It’s an amazing tour and experience.
A tip! If you are visiting Paraty in November, Quilombo do Campinho has an incredible schedule on the Black Consciousness holiday with a lot of concerts and special events.
Without any doubts, Paraty is a type of destiny that it has several options to know and discover. We always suggest that you take our Paraty Free Walking Tour on the first day to learn all the history and tips on the best tours!
