Activities
When arriving in Paraty, you'll certainly rush to visit the Historical Downtown. But be very careful. It's so exciting that you can even forget about the beaches of Costa Verde. The colonial big houses are stunning and the walk through the streets in which the cobblestones were fixed by slave children are a real time machine. You'll be transported to the 19th century, date of the blocks architecture historically listed by IPHAN (National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage). The downtown is filled with parties, music, stores and restaurants. A different trip for each day. After enjoying the Historical Downtown, it's time to meet some of the 120 beaches and islands in emerald tone that compose the Paraty bay and surroundings. Cristal blue beaches and a wonderful mix of green and blue, with pleasant temperature waters filled with life. You can come across turtles, dolphins and, more rarely, even some killer whales. Choose between the boat trips, speedboat circuits or car and tracking itineraries. The way you'll arrive changes, but certainly the beauty is common to all of the beaches. Don't forget to visit the wonderful beaches of Trindade, dive with the fish on Ilha Comprida and Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon), discover the beauties of Saco da Velha grotto, eat a fried fish at the seaside on Saco do Mamanguá and delight yourself on the calm waters of Cotia Island, Lula Beach and Praia Vermelha. But as they are not the only local beauties, you can search for sand strips all along the Rio-Santos highway. The coast can bestow upon the tourists unforgettable scenes.
As well as the sea water, whoever is in Paraty can enjoy a cold bath on a waterfall. Nothing better to put away the summer heat! Try visiting one of the small paradises amid Serra do Mar. Many waterfalls are at the edge of the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Path), the Estrada Real (Royal Highway) where gold, diamonds and coffee came from Minas Gerais during the colonial period. You can assemble the historic itinerary with ecotourism, tracking, rappel, canyoning, tree climbing and zipline. But really funny should be to venture in a descent through the Tobogã Waterfall, where the local youngs put up a spectacle of stunts by slipping into the slippery stone that composes the waterfall. Between one waterfall and another, it's worth to try one of the best handcrafted cachaças produced on the region. Visit an alembic and don't miss the chance to get to know how it's produced one of the most authentic Brazilian drinks, all at the edge of the Estrada Real (Royal Highway).