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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Paraty
Give Paraty 3 nights: one for the colonial centre, one for a bay boat trip, one for a waterfall or Trindade beach. Skip it only if you have under 2 days.
Paraty is a colonial port on the Costa Verde between Rio and São Paulo, with a car-free cobbled centre, a bay of islands and Atlantic rainforest waterfalls behind it. It is small, walkable and best in the dry months; most travellers come for 3 nights and use it as a base for Trindade and the bay.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (drier, cooler)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rain and crowds), Carnaval and New Year
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$180–300 excl. bed · Mid R$300–550 excl. bed · High R$550+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | R$8–15 |
| Prato feito (set lunch) | R$30–55 |
| Self-service buffet by weight, per kg | R$60–90 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | R$12–20 / R$5–8 |
| Caipirinha | R$20–35 |
| Bottle of cachaça (distillery) | R$50–150 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | R$25–40 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$50–100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GIG · Rio de Janeiro–Galeão
- Long-distance bus from Rio takes about 4 h; most travellers arrive this way.
- GRU · São Paulo–Guarulhos
- Bus from São Paulo takes about 6 h.
Typical fares
- Bus Rio → Paraty
- about 4 h, several departures a day (check)
- Bus São Paulo → Paraty
- about 6 h (check)
- Local bus Paraty → Trindade
- about R$3, 40–50 min (check)
- Bay boat trip, half day
- about R$150 per person; agree the price first (check)
Get around
The historic centre is compact and pedestrian-only; walk everywhere. Local buses to Trindade and outlying beaches leave from the bus station (about R$3 to Trindade, check). Taxis and app cars handle the rest; a car is useful only for waterfalls and the Paraty–Cunha road.
See and do
Known for
- Colonial historic centre (UNESCO, with Ilha Grande)
- Bay boat trips and island beaches
- Cachaça distilleries
- Waterfalls and the Gold Trail
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trindade | Local bus from Paraty bus station, about 40–50 min | About 1 h |
| Angra dos Reis | Bus or car along BR-101, about 1.5–2 h | 2–2.5 h |
| Mangaratiba | Bus or car along BR-101, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Mambucaba | Bus or car along BR-101, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Cachoeira do Tobogã and Pedra Branca waterfalls | Car or taxi up the Paraty–Cunha road, 20–30 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Historic centre (Centro Histórico)
- Walk to everything; cars are banned inside. Noisy at night and pricier.
- Jabaquara
- Beach side, 10–15 min walk to the centre; quieter, some hostels and pousadas.
- Around the bus station / Av. Roberto Silveira
- Cheaper rooms, easy bus access, 10 min walk to the old town.
- Portal de Paraty / Caborê
- Residential, 20 min walk in; good value if you have a car or don't mind walking.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Oláoh-LAH |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kon kar-TOWN |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?ON-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Cobblestones are rough and uneven: wear flat shoes, not sandals with thin soles.
- At full moon and high tide, seawater floods some centre streets 15–25 cm deep for a short time.
- Book ahead for FLIP (Jul–Aug), Carnaval and New Year: beds sell out and prices jump.
- Agree the price before any boat charter or taxi ride.
- Rain is heavy Dec–Mar; trails and waterfalls can be unsafe after downpours.
Paraty is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are uneven cobblestones, strong sun, rip currents at some beaches and pickpocketing in crowds at Carnaval and FLIP. Keep valuables out of sight and avoid unlit streets late at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paraty yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Colonial historic centre (UNESCO, with Ilha Grande)
- Bay boat trips and island beaches
- Cachaça distilleries
- Waterfalls and the Gold Trail
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Costa Verde Transportes: www.costaverdetransportes.com.br/
- Wikivoyage: Paraty, revision 5237052 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237052
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paraty
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Paraty; the US, UK and other consulates are in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.
10% service charge is usually already on the bill.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paraty). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.