Paraty

One of the top destination not too far from Castelinho38, is the colonial village of Paraty, at just 4 hours by bus. Paraty was founded formally as a town by portuguese colonizers in 1667, After the discovery of the world's richest gold mines in 1696 in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Paraty became an export port for gold to Rio de Janeiro and from there on to Portugal. The ensuing gold rush led to the construction of the "Caminho do Ouro" or "Gold Trail", a 1200 kilometer road, paved in steep areas with large stones.

Paraty is known for the cobblestone-paved streets throughout the Historic Center District. No cars or trucks are allowed in this part of town. Only foot traffic or bicycles. Horses and carts are a very common sight in Paraty and are frequently used all around the city. Paraty has been able to maintain many of its historic buildings. Much of the architecture of the city has not changed for 250 years or more.


here are many musical and cultural events, the most prominent of which is the FLIP, International Literary Festival of Paraty. The town is also known for its local festivals on Catholic holy dates, such as the Feast of the Holy Ghost.

There are also many colorful, colonial houses (refurbished in most cases), many of which have been transformed into shops, pousadas, restaurants and bars. Paraty has become a popular tourist area in recent years, renowned for the beauty of the town and the coast and mountains in the region.

The town is located on the Bay of Ilha Grande, which is dotted with many tropical islands. Rising up some 1,000 meters behind the town are the tropical forests, mountains, and waterfalls. Paraty is surrounded by many Nature Parks including Serra da Bocaina National Park, the Park Reserve of Joatinga and the Environmentally Protected Area of Cairuçu, where the village of Trindade is located.