Brazil: Paraty

Paraty is a colonial town between Sao Paulo and Rio, therefore very popular. Founded to ship gold mined from Minas Gerais, Paraty took a backseat when gold was later routed through Rio. As a result the old center was preserved, with cobblestone streets and colorfully painted colonial houses which are especially beautiful at sunrise (1st below).









Another interesting feature of Paraty is that some streets are designed to be flooded at the monthly highest tides, washing out street debris. What an idea! Though we happened to be there during the harvest moon, the daytime high tide didn't produce much flooding. We were not motivated enough to go out at 2am.





I found it curious that Paraty didn't get on the UNESCO list until 2019. On our Brazil itinerary, there are four other colonial towns that have been on the UNESCO list longer. We'll have to see whether we agree. We rather like Paraty. It's very genuine. Our Airbnb is on the next block from the cobble streets, not at all touristy, it might as well be another town. Below is the view from the window of our Airbnb.



We squeezed in a beautiful coastal walk, from Vila Oratorio to Sono Beach (photos below), before the weather turned very hot (95F). Traveler's Tip: See the bus schedule to Vila Oratio 5th below.