Making the most of Parati
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships cannot dock at Parati, so passengers are tendered ashore. The tender journey takes about 30 minutes.
Take a printable map with you.
Fishing boats and brightly painted tour schooners fill the tender dock. From there, the old town is a 5 minute walk past the old church. Pretty cobblestone streets are lined with restored colonial houses now used as small shops, restaurants and artists' studios; at high tide, water enters the streets and cleans them.
Parati, or Paraty, is a charming colonial town between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Its car-free centre is a national historic monument, and nearby are excellent beaches and the small Forte do Defensor Perpetuo from 1822.
Getting around
Simply wander and enjoy the town: cars are not permitted.
Nearby places
Buses leave the Bus Station for Trindade village, its beaches and other outlying beaches. Buy tickets onboard; the fare to Trindade is approximately R$3.
Food and shopping
Paraty is one of Brazil's noted cachaça producers; a century ago, this rum-like drink was in fact known as parati.
Summer holidays make Paraty lively and crowded with Brazilian and European holidaymakers and good music. Its cosmopolitan feel is strengthened by the many Brazilian and foreign artists, writers and chefs who have settled there in recent years to open shops, galleries and restaurants.
Money
The currency is the Brazilian Real.
Staying connected
Portuguese is spoken.
Cafés providing customers with free WiFi are scarce.
Opening Hours and
Most businesses and shops keep basic hours of 9am to 6pm, with an extended lunch around noon to 2pm.
Many museums are shut on monday.
Festas Juninas runs throughout June with local music, dances and street theatre, ending late in June with a maritime procession to Ilha do Araújo.