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Paraty: the Brazilian Venice

April 3, 2013 by Arianwen Morris 19 Comments

Paraty - church

Just as I’d found with Florianopolis, the Brazilian town of Paraty is best visited with company. It’s a beautiful place with plenty of beaches, cute cobbled streets and impressive churches, but there’s not much else to keep you occupied. It also sees its fair share of rain, which can add to your sense of loneliness if you happen to be passing through solo. But, other than ensuring you have a partner in crime, what else do you need to know?

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Be prepared to make detours

Paraty - flooded street

I’ve referred to Paraty as the Brazilian Venice because it was built purposefully so that its streets would flood with sea water whenever the tide came in. This means that you can be walking through town and reach a dead end where your only option is to wade through a few feet of water or to take a big detour along the tiny pavements that line the streets to figure out a way to get past it.

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Choose your accommodation wisely

I stayed in two different parts of Paraty. The first time, I chose a hostel on Avenida do Jabaquara, where the beach is less busy. This was a very pretty area, but somewhat isolated from the main town. There were no buses, which left me with only one option: to hike for 30 minutes down desolate roads through the humid jungle, detouring inland to cross the canal.

Paraty - canal

I’m not one to shy away from a bit of exercise, but after arriving with my increasingly heavy backpack from a 22-hour bus journey and with no map in my guidebook, it wasn’t the most inviting prospect. Some of the hostels have a pick up service, but the staff at mine were conveniently not answering their phone. The second time I visited, I stayed in the centre and much preferred it.

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Leave space in your backpack for some serious souvenir shopping

Paraty - shopping

Photo: Christina Delapaz

There’s no denying that Paraty has some of the best souvenir shopping in Brazil. And, since it seems to also get more than its fair share of rain, you might find yourself spending more time in the shops that expected. There’s a book store with a reasonable collection of novels in English – something I struggled so hard to find in Brazil that I ended up picking up ‘The Bitch Witch’ and ’50 Shades’ from one of my hostels – and plenty of stores selling beach wear and trinkets. You can also ‘try before you buy’ flavoured cachaca in the liquor stores. That’s certainly not a bad way to while away a damp afternoon.

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Research the boat trips

Paraty - boat trip

Since I was isolated in my hostel on the beach, I asked the staff there to arrange for me to to take a boat trip around some of the nearby bays and islands. When I arrived at the pier, I had to force my way through a throng of people to find my boat, and singling out the one I’d already paid for among a hundred others just like it wasn’t easy either. Most of the trips leave around 11 am, so my advice would be to wander down at around 10:30 and see if you can get a deal. Aside from the financial advantage, you’ll be able to check out who is already on the boats and how much space they have. I’d gone on the trip in the hope of meeting a bunch of other travellers, or at least some locals my own age. It ended up being me and about 100 Brazilian families and couples.

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Beware of the supermarket

I’m fully aware that most backpackers like to hunt down a bargain, and shopping in supermarkets for cheap ingredients you can cook up into something basic in your hostel is par for the course, but Paraty supermarket was one of the worst I’ve encountered. It was always busy no matter what time of day I stopped by. Either go once and stock up for the whole of your stay, or treat yourself to a few good meals at some of the many quality restaurants in town.

Paraty - supermarket stress

Photo: Christina Delapaz

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Get yourself a ‘por kilo’ meal

One way to get a good meal in at a fraction of the usual cost of eating out is to visit a ‘por kilo’ restaurant. You’ll find these dotted all over Brazil and they’re perfect for when you have a massive appetite. The principle is simple. Just grab a plate, pile onto it whatever you like from an extensive selection of seafood, meats, salad, fried side dishes, vegetables and fruits, then get it weighed to figure out how much you owe. It’s always a bargain. My only concern was how long some of the food had been sitting out in the midday heat, but we got by without illness. Now, guess which of these was mine…!

Paraty - por kilo food

Photo: Christina Delapaz

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Comments

  1. Sara Rodriguez says

    April 4, 2013 at 10:10 am

    Such a wonderful place! I’ve been in Brazil three times and always people recommend me going to Paraty but I couldn’t! I think this is a signal I have to go back! :D
    Great post!
    Sara Rodriguez recently posted..Mindful Travel, filosofĂ­a viajeraMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      April 4, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      It’s really not far from Rio – which tends to be where people fly in and out, so I’d recommend it to anyone heading down the south coast or just fancying a few days away from the big city. I hope you make it there sometime.

      Reply
  2. TammyOnTheMove says

    April 4, 2013 at 10:28 am

    Awww, that’s brings back memories. Been there a few years ago on my way to Honey Island. Loved that place!
    TammyOnTheMove recently posted..Everest Base Camp chroniclesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      April 4, 2013 at 2:24 pm

      Yeah, it was really nice. I wanted to go to Ilha Grande too, but it was such bad weather we were worried we’d just be stranded in the hostel the whole time.

      Reply
  3. Becky Padmore says

    April 4, 2013 at 12:52 pm

    I definitely need to see more of this part of the world, hope to visit this year!
    Becky Padmore recently posted..Lost property: bizarre items left behind by hotel guestsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      April 4, 2013 at 2:26 pm

      I loved South America. It’s by far my favourite continent…especially the more northern (and cheaper) countries like Ecuador and Bolivia. If you’re heading there and want tips, let me know!

      Reply
  4. Christina says

    April 5, 2013 at 1:56 am

    How much money will I get for guessing which is your plate??

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      April 5, 2013 at 10:19 am

      Hahaha. If you were there at the time, you’re not allowed to participate. But I will buy you a drink when I get to Sydney if you pretend I was the healthy one…

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        April 5, 2013 at 11:08 pm

        haha I was going to say EXACTLY the same thing! I wasn’t there, and I know the answer. Do I get a drink Ari?
        Rebecca recently posted..Welcome to Bex’s Boxty KitchenMy Profile

        Reply
        • Arianwen Morris says

          April 6, 2013 at 11:07 am

          Um, no you don’t Bex. Sorry.

          Reply
          • Christina says

            April 6, 2013 at 6:15 pm

            To Bex: LIKE!

            Reply
  5. Matthew Kitchen says

    January 31, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    I’d recommend the ‘Caipboat’ tour to anyone reading this. 60 Reals (at the time of writing) for a 6 hour boat tour, with free Caiprinha’s included…whether you’re a big fan of the drink or not, it means it attracts plenty of fellow backpackers.
    You’ll also be pleased to hear the supermarket seem to have sorted out their queuing system…no issues on my trip despite being here at one of the busiest times of the year :)

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      February 1, 2016 at 9:33 am

      Ohhhhh, thanks Matthew! I wish I’d known about that tour when I was there. It sounds great! I love a caiparinha ;). That’s also good news about the supermarket. I’ll have to make a return visit!

      Reply
      • Matthew Kitchen says

        February 2, 2016 at 8:29 am

        I think the guy has only been doing it about a year so it may not have been around when you were there. Yes Caipriniha’s are good, if you drink enough of them it effectively makes the boat trip free ;) worth the return visit in itself, although there is so much of the world to see, as you are proving on your current trip (very helpfully for those of us currently on a round the world trip!)

        Reply
        • Arianwen Morris says

          February 3, 2016 at 6:45 am

          Ah, that sounds likely. Haha. I don’t think I’d have much trouble getting through my money’s worth of caipirinhas! I love those things. I actually went to Paraty twice on my last trip, so if I came back it would be round III! Hope it happens! Enjoy the rest of your travels and stay in touch!

          Reply
  6. Deb Trindade says

    June 21, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    Beauty tips on Paraty!

    Did you know Trinity? It is a village which is located in Paraty, it is beautiful and has great beaches!

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      June 22, 2016 at 7:47 am

      Wow, this was four years ago so I’m not sure! I didn’t go too far out of Paraty, but I did a lot of walking around the city itself. I definitely visited some beautiful beaches and parts of town. I’d love to go back!

      Reply

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