Paraty Travel Guide

Paraty (also spelled Parati) is a coastal historic town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was first settled by the Portuguese in 1667. Its old churches, cobbled streets and nearby forests, waterfalls, islands and emerald-green sea attract lots of tourists interested in mixing cultural tourism and more natural settings. The culture and nature of the region are, together with Ilha Grande, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Paraty can be reached by air fromRio de JaneiroorSão Pauloonly by chartered helicopter or small commercial and private aircraft due to its small airstrip.

The historic town is compact and can be covered on foot; cars, save for taxis picking up or dropping passengers, are not allowed into the historic city center. The rough boulders of the old city streets would quickly destroy the shocks of most cars anyway.

The Historic Center suits visitors wanting to be where the action is, and it has plenty of charming hotels andpousadas. It can however be busy and noisy particularly at night so it's worth considering staying outside and walking or cycling in. Cheaper options can be found at the newer neighborhoods, outside the tourist area. There are over 200 pousadas in the area. Watch out for the busy periods of FLIP (seeDoabove) in July, Carnaval and New Year's.