Paraty as a tourist destination has been known for a long time among local visitors, but recently has been discovered by foreign travelers as well and became one of the must-visit places in Brazil and overall South America.
Aerial view of Paraty
The unique location close to both, Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro, yet near the sea along Costa Verde plus the UNESCO status means that nowadays Paraty receives a fair share of local and foreign visitors, especially on weekend days.
Despite the popularity, Paraty, known as one of the world’s most significant examples of Portuguese colonial architecture, still keeps its charm and pleasant, authentic atmosphere. When thinking of it, in South America, we haven’t visited such a beautiful colonial city since traveling in Colombia, where we, on the other hand, saw plenty of them, for example, charming Villa de Leyva or our favorite Jardin.
The postcard-perfect streets are inviting at any time of the year, and the fact that it rains quite a lot in Paraty should not put you off visiting the town because only after the rain you’ll be able to see another feature Paraty has apart from charming cobblestone streets and cute houses. The cobbles of streets are inclined, so they create channels to drain off water after heavy rain. When it rains, some water stays in the channels, and you can capture picturesque photographs of colorful houses with their reflections.
Also, once in a month, when the full moon occurs, seawater rises (during high tide), enters the city and the water cleans the town. This architectural masterpiece turns Paraty once in a month into a small version of Italian Venice.
Here are the best things you can’t miss when visiting this Brazilian coastal historic town.
