Paraty is a charming coastal town known for it’s colourful old town, remote beaches and stunning natural beauty.

Where is Paraty located

Paraty is in the state of Rio de Janeiro in central Brazil, almost halfway between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

How to get to Paraty

From Rio de Janeiro: Buses depart from Novo Rio bus station to Paraty. There are several daily departures by Viação Costa Verde. The journey takes about 4-5 hours.

From São Paulo: Buses depart from Tietê bus station to Paraty. The journey takes about 6-7 hours.

You can check schedules online and book online with Busbud or from the ticket halls at the bus stations.

Getting Around

Paraty is a small town and you will be spending most of your time walking in the old town or out on excursions.

There are taxis around town that you may need to get to and from the bus station depending on what luggage you have.

When is the best time to visit Paraty

Paraty has a sub tropical climate so has warm temperatures all year round.

Summer (December–February): The peak tourist season, with more rain and temperatures averaging between 21 °C (71 °F) – 28 °C (82 °F).
Shoulder: Hot weather with temperatures averaging between 17 °C (62 °F) – 27 °C (80 °F).
Low season (May–August): Low season with milder temperatures averaging between 17 °C (62 °F) – 23 °C (74 °F) . This is also the driest time of year

Our Verdict: The shoulder season is in the goldilocks zone of warm temperatures, not as much rain and cheaper prices.

Where to stay

Paraty is small and everything is focused around the old town. Aim to stay within walking distance to the old town.

Things to do in Paraty

Explore Centro Histórico

Paraty’s Centro Histórico area is a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s knwon for its well-preserved colonial architecture and charming cobblestone streets that are a joy to explore.

Beaches

There’s a couple of beaches in the area to visit
Praia do Pontal: Right across the river from the old town. Not the biggest or nicest beach but they do have stand up paddle boards and kayaks here to rent.

Praia do Jabaquara: A little bit further north along the coast. You can walk or take a taxi to this beach. It’s nicer than Prais do Pontal and has sun lounges available as well as food and drink.

TRAVEL TIP: To go to the best beaches you need to take a boat tour.

4×4 Tour

There are various 4×4 tours available that take you into the mountains behind Paraty. We went on the waterfall tour that was a lot of fun which also included Cachaça tasting.

Boat Tour

Bout tours are one of the most popular activities in town. The boat tours will take you around to the small islands in the area and to the best and most beautiful beaches. You can book through an agency or directly with the captains along Rua Aurora.

Hiking

There are a number of trails in the area that take you to waterfalls, hidden beaches and amazing vistas high up in the mountains. Check out the Alltrails map below for inspiration.

Where to Eat & Drink

Gelateria Miracolo: Awesome ice-cream shop located in the Centro Historico area.

Cachaça Tasting: You will become very familiar with cachaça in your time in Brazil and there are loads of distilleries in the area where you can go and do a tasting and buy some of the local product.

Our Experience

We really enjoyed Paraty so much so we extended our stay here! There is a lot to do in the area and we still didn’t scratch the surface. You need 3-4 days here to get the most out of this place as most of the things to do involve going on excursions which also makes it not the most budget friendly place to visit.

Next Stop:

Also check out our YouTube video below 👇