- Fotos: André Azevedo
"Magical and pastoral. That is how I see Paraty. The streets of the town are calm and one may unhurriedly observe every detail of the architecture. In the evening, the flight of the swallows around the dome of Santa Rita Church is a sight to be remembered. Equally so, an early morning visit to the Pier, to see the fishermen arrive with their fresh fish. I always find myself imagining the reaction of the Portuguese people upon arrival at Ilha Grande Bay in 1502, at the height of summer, seeing all of this greenery reaching an also green sea. In those days, there were no little white houses, with their colourful doors and windows, and no cobbled streets made from "pé-de-moleque", literally speaking "street urchins'feet" (referring to the type of stone used underfoot), adding a final touch to the charm of Paraty
But Paraty is not only a Historic Centre. The town also has much to offer, such as pleasurable bathing at one of the innumerable and beautiful waterfalls on a very hot day; taking a walk along Jabaquara beach in the late afternoon; enjoying the delicious Franco-Mineiro food in the Mata Atlantica jungle! To be in Paraty is to take a boat ride (a whaler, a fishing boat, or a motor boat...) out into the sea; to deep-sea dive off one of the beaches in its enormous and beautiful bay. Or to surf the waves on Trinidad Beach; to take a walk to the natural pool of Cachadaço (avoid doing so at high-season, as you may be surprised by the number of people there). And how about hiring a bike to pedal along the river banks?
There are so many beauties and possibilities to be found, that I could spend hours talking about this magical town. Make full use of our recommendations, put your stay at Casa Turquesa to good use, and enjoy yourselves in Paraty."
Tetê Etrusco
Recommendations
Continue to visit Paraty as each season has its charm. But it is at its best at low-season, from April to August. The climate is then delightful: dry, warm by day and cool at night, and you may have the town to yourself!
Ladies: bring trainers and flat sandals along with you... The cobbled streets were not made for high heels – and certainly not for stiletto heels!!!
By day...
- A boat ride is always immensely beautiful. From whaler to off-shore, all of them are worth it! What is important is to enjoy the ride… Stops at the island of Catimbau or at Hiltinho´s restaurant are great options for lunch!
- Another wonderful outing is to sunbathe on the little beach just a 5-minute walk from the fishing village at Praia Grande (Large Beach), 10 kilometres from Paraty, along the Rio/Santos road – and when your tummy rumbles, go up to Le Gite for a meal. Once there, introduce yourselves to Valeria and Olivier, the two chefs who own the restaurant. While they prepare their delicious "franco-mineiro" food, pop down to the waterfall to wash off your salty seawater … and, if you still have the energy to do so, take a walk to the Hare Krishna commune. Dinner at Le Gite is also delicious, try to arrive at the end of the afternoon to have a sauna at the base of the waterfall, before sitting down to table... [pitanga caipirinha (Surinam cherry sugar-cane rum brandy drink), cover charge including rolls "fait maison" and divine pâtés, ceviche – the best in the world! – and taro ravioli, are my favourite dishes!].
- If you are adept at deep-sea diving, or would love to give it a try, then the waters of Paraty bay are perfect for you … with a bit of luck you will see innumerable fish, starfish, turtles and ray-fish. Rodrigo and Renato at Uno Drive operators are excellent (and patient) professionals, who will take you on an unforgettable trip into the depths of the ocean!
- Having a massage is always a delight. You may request a masseuse in your room, which will be so relaxing that you won´t even notice her leave, or an even better and more complete way to spend your time would be to visit the SPA SHAMBALA. Hans and Priscila had the happy idea of setting up this beautiful and more than agreeable place, full of pleasurable possibilities... How about a grated coconut scrub, followed by a soak in an ofuro hot tub, finishing off with a wonderful massage? A great option for a rainy day. Ask for the menu at Reception and enjoy the options!
- And there is more: horse-back riding, kayaking... Ask us for further details!
By night...
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My favourite restaurant is Punto di Vino... The pizzas and pasta (they make the best clam spaghetti I have tasted in the world!) are delicious and so is the fish, which is always very fresh. The place’s atmosphere is great, there are always well-known friendly people there, good music...
Address: 129, Marechal Deodoro Street – Historic Centre – Matriz Square. Phone: 55 24 3371-1348. -
Sophisticated and delicious seaside inhabitants’ cooking can be found at the Banana da Terra. Their wine cellar has a good variety of wines. Ana Bueno, the chef, is very charming and prepares her dishes with great care.
Address: 198, Samuel Costa Street. Phone: 55 24 3371-1725. - The Refúgio, opposite Casa Turquesa, also serves tasty seafood, in a sophisticated environment. Don't forget to taste the prawn "casadinho", typical to Paraty, and Master Pito's salted cod dishes. We can get the food delivered, for you to eat by our pool back here at Casa Turquesa.
- Feel like eating a Moqueca? Arpoador Restaurant: the place is small and unpretentious but without a doubt they have the best moqueca in town. Fernando prepares the dish to perfection, be it prawn, crab or fish, they are all delicious. His prawn casadinho dish is also very good!
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Exotic: Thai Brasil. Marina and her team pilot their kitchen better than anyone else, and they will quickly serve you prawn curry in a pineapple, which is absolutely divine!
Address: 345, Dona Geralda Street – Historic Centre. Phone: 55 24 3371-0127. -
A tiny corner of Provence might be Le Castellet, a very attractive crêperie where Yves, originally from Marseilles, and a lover of the region of Provence, prepares his very original crêpes and other delicacies. My favourites: goat’s cheese, rosemary and honey; and for dessert – bitter chocolate, cherry jam and vanilla ice-cream! Uhummm!
Address: 44, Dona Geralda Street – Historic Centre. Phone: 55 24 3371-7461.
Next door to the crêperie, Alejandra an ex-photographer from the Argentine Boca Juniors team, prepares empanadas (pasties) which are "riquíssimas" (delicious)… one of her grandmother’s recipes!!! -
Do you like to cook? How about taking part in a demonstration dinner done by Yara from Minas Gerais state? She chooses one of the regions of Brazil, prepares the menu and puts on the show. Apart from leaving there knowing how to cook and prepare it all, you will also have a delightful evening. But do book in advance, because the place is not large. This is a good suggestion for a group of friends. Bookings are available at Reception.
Atelier de cozinha e outros prazeres (Cookery and other Pleasures Workshop)
Address: 288, Dona Geralda Street. Phone: 55 24 3371-6468. -
A Happy-Hour which may well extend itself late into the night, is to be found at Café Paraty. Traditional to the town, it has good music (often some good jazz) and delicious snacks.
Address: Comércio Street, on the corner of Lapa Street. Phone: 55 24 3371-1464. -
Also very nice for drinks, is Che Bar. Sometimes Cuban music is played there!
Address: 241, Marechal Deodoro Street – Historic Centre. Phone: 55 24 3371-8663. - Santa Trindade is a lounge bar/restaurant where late into the night a dance floor opens up, with DJ music. It is a cool place with various environments. Open for lunch too, always live music being played. New in town, starting off on the right foot.
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Coupé Bar: small outdoor tables opposite Matriz Square make this typical town bar an agreeable place from which to watch the to-and-fro of the tourists and the local inhabitants.
Address: Matriz Square – Historic Centre. -
And of course, you mustn't forget to watch a performance at the Teatro de Bonecos (Puppet Theatre) at Teatro Espaço (Espaço Theatre). Raquel and Marcos bring the puppets to life, under the direction of Marcos Riba. A must.
Performances every Wednesday and Saturday at 9p.m. Performances are also available on Fridays, during high season. Book at Reception.
Address: 327, Dona Geralda Street. Phone: 55 24 3371-1575.
Tourist Attractions:
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To stroll along the town streets is an outing in itself, but don’t forget to pay a visit to Santa Rita Church, where the Museo de Arte Sagrada (Sacred Art Museum) is located, and also to the Casa de Cultura, to see their permanent exhibition (after having a coffee at the cultural café, while reading a good book which you might pick up at their bookshop)… Take a walk up Morro do Forte (Fort Hill), also worth a visit. The view from up there is spectacular!
If you are curious and would like to know more, a City Tour may be ofinterest to you. You may book at Reception.
And, of course, there are all of those shops, art galleries, cafés, ice-cream parlours (Miracolo on Matriz Square is a great temptation!).
If you like our "cachaça" (sugar-cane rum brandy), a visit to one of the distilleries out of town is a possibility. Beyond all this, there are innumerable things to fill your days in our town. There is also Flip, the Cinema Festival and many other interesting events in Paraty. All of them, good excuses to visit the town! And in 2009, a cinema will be opening!!! Look out for it!
Religious Feast Days
Paraty keeps to the tradition of all its feast days, which are in the greater part of a religious nature. The most important one is the Festa do Divino Espirito Santo (Feast Day of the Holy Ghost), which was established by Princess Isabel in the XVIIth century, and is a combination of both profane and religious celebrations.
- April – Holy Week
- May – Feast of the Holy Ghost
- June – Corpus Christi
- July – Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Araújo Island) / Saint Rita
- September – Our Lady of Remedies
- November – Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict
Interesting Events:
- January / February – Paraty Instrumental
- August – International Literary Gathering at Paraty (Flip) / Pinga (sugar-cane rum brandy) Festival
- September – Focus on Paraty
- October – International Cinema Festival in Paraty
- November – Gastronomic Extravagance