Paraty

Where should I stay?

Where should I eat?

• Banana da Terra · Centro Histórico · Caiçara / seafood: Chef Ana Bueno's long-running restaurant serves refined caiçara (coastal) cooking, including local fish paired with banana, the town's signature combination.
• Margarida Café · Centro Histórico · Brazilian / international: A relaxed spot near the edge of the historic center with a varied menu, drinks and frequent live music in the evenings.
• Punto Divino · Centro Histórico · Italian / pizza: Wood-fired pizzas and Italian dishes in the historic center, a dependable choice for dinner.
• Paraty 33 · Centro Histórico · Brazilian / bar: A long-standing restaurant-bar on the main cobbled street, good for caipirinhas, petiscos and live music at night.
• Sabor da Terra · Centro · Per-kilo buffet: A popular pay-by-weight buffet just outside the historic center, where you can try everyday Brazilian dishes cheaply.

What should I do?

• Centro Histórico de Paraty · Centro Histórico: Car-free streets of uneven stone and whitewashed colonial houses from the gold-route era, some of which flood at high tide.
• Igreja de Santa Rita · Centro Histórico: The waterfront 18th-century church, Paraty's best-known image, houses a small museum of sacred art.
• Forte Defensor Perpétuo · Morro da Vila Velha: A short walk past Praia do Pontal leads to this 18th-century fort with old cannons and views over the bay.
• Trindade · Trindade: A laid-back village about 30 minutes south with jungle-backed beaches and the Piscina Natural do Cachadaço, a rock-sheltered swimming pool.
• Caminho do Ouro · Penha / Serra da Bocaina: Guided walks follow a restored stretch of the colonial stone road that carried gold from Minas Gerais down to the port.
• Cachoeira do Tobogã · Penha: A waterfall where locals slide down a smooth, natural rock face into a pool, in the hills a short drive from town.
• Boat trip around the Baía de Paraty · Cais de Paraty: Schooners and small boats leave the town pier for day trips to islands and quiet beaches with stops for swimming and snorkeling.
• Cachaça distillery visit · Rural Paraty: Paraty has been making cachaça for centuries, and several alambiques outside town offer tours of production and tastings.