Paraty, Brazil: A Lovely City in Brazil

July 20, 2015

When I travel to a new place, I like to see everything that is very typical of that country, the most unique sights and the things that I’m not going to be able see anywhere else. In Brazil, every time I go to Paraty, I get this feeling that I’m in such a special place, unlike any other city in the country, in the continent and perhaps in the whole world.

Paraty is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro (just so you know, there is Rio de Janeiro, the city, and Rio de Janeiro, the state, just like New York), in the south east of Brazil. It used to be the seat of the most important seaport in Brazil, exporting lots of gold all the way to Portugal back in the 1600s.

These “golden days” are gone, but the importance of this city is still very clear. The architecture, for example, very typical of the Portuguese style, is remarkable. Big and tall white houses, with a lot of windows and colorful doors is what you can see on every street – they were built this way so that there could be as much sunlight as possible. That’s where the richest people used to live, and now these houses are home to stores, restaurants, public buildings, hotels and hostels.

Right in the historic center, they are amazing places to stay, to visit or just to look and imagine how different life was on our colonial times (1500-1815).

Be sure to pack very comfortable shoes and forget high heels.

If you’re a history geek like I am, you’ll love seeing all of the history exposed on the cobblestone streets. Be sure to pack very comfortable shoes and forget high heels. It’s absolutely impossible to walk in them in Paraty, and locals don’t mind if you only wear flip flops or hippie sandals.

The architecture and historic area of Paraty should be enough to make it the cutest city in Brazil, but there are also cute little details that make it even more special. For example, Paraty has a canal. Sure, a Brazilian version of it, not like the ones in Amsterdam. But there’s a bike path/jogging path by its side and bridges that will give you a beautiful view of the sunset.

There’s a pier, where you can just walk around or board a boat and see the islands and paradisiac beaches. And, the hotels and hostels always have information about these and other tours available.

There are also important events held in Paraty. In July, the city hosts the Flip, an annual book fair that attracts book lovers from all around the world.

There are also important events held in Paraty. In July, the city hosts the Flip, an annual book fair that attracts book lovers from all around the world. Writers James Ellroy, Jennifer Egan and David Hare are among those who have attended.

Carnival, the hugest party in the world, is also great in Paraty. The city gets a makeover and is colorful and beautifully decorated. Music and traditional bands take over the streets at night, happiness is contagious between everyone over the four days when the party is on. I bet you’ll learn some Brazilian moves from the locals, including Samba. Everyone will be happy to teach you a little bit! A lot of foreigners have already discovered this hidden gem, and the population is very used to tourists.

Paraty is a small town, pretty safe and not expensive. It is around 4 hours from Rio and 5 hours from São Paulo (by car or bus), where the closest international airports are.

There are a lot of “alambiques” in the area, places where our typical booze – which is called cachaça – is produced.

If I haven’t convinced you already that Paraty is a city you should get to know, I hope this will do. There are a lot of “alambiques” in the area, places where our typical booze – which is called cachaça – is produced. Therefore, there are a lot of stores selling the most diverse,unique and delicious versions of this liquor.

I recommend Armazém da Cachaça, in Paraty’s main neighborhood. There, you can find not only a big variety of Brazil’s most famous alcoholic beverage (and taste them for free) but also something called “trufa de cachaça,” chocolate filled with an amazing cream made of cachaça.