10 Unforgettable Things to Do in Paraty, Brazil

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If you’re looking for one of South America’s best hidden gems, look no further. Seriously, I can’t believe how many people are overlooking Paraty, a historic town tucked away in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Just a few hours away from the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Paraty is such an easy weekend trip – and so worth it. If you love outrageously picturesque towns (seriously, I could’ve spent all day just taking photos), gorgeous nature — I’m talking waterfalls and beaches — and culinary and cultural gems (like, did you know it has a fascinating cachaça history?), then you’re going to be obsessed with Paraty.

I spent a couple of days here with my husband for our honeymoon during a trip to Rio in August, 2025, and I can’t believe I waited until my fifth time in Brazil to come to this gorgeous, colonial-style town.

If you’re planning your Paraty itinerary or wondering about the best things to do in Paraty Brazil, this guide covers it all — from waterfalls to distilleries and beaches.

Woman sits on stoop in front of green door in Paraty, Brazil. The building is framed by plants.

Woman walks next to building with orange doors and blue trim in Paraty, Brazil.

1. Explore Paraty’s Historic City Center

Originally home to the Guainá tribe, Paraty as we know it came to be after the Portuguese’ arrival in the 1500s. For the following few centuries, it became one of the epicenters of the Brazilian economy, with many sugarcane plantations and cachaça distilleries, and then as part of the gold route, in which gold was transported from the state of Minas Gerais to the port in Rio, and then shipped to Europe.

Today, Historic Paraty is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and looks much like it did centuries ago, with its white buildings lined with colorful windows and doors, and stone roads. It’s the #1 attraction in Paraty because well, it’s just super beautiful.

The historic center of Paraty is pretty small, and doesn’t need a ton of time to explore, but is still worth taking your time in.

As far as specific sightseeing, here are a few places to check out:

Casa de Cultura

You’ll find a number of exhibitions, musical performances, and a cute coffee shop, Café Raízes, at this cultural center. (Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Museu de Arte Sacra/Igreja Santa Rita

There are four historic churches in Paraty, but I’ll share the top two you should visit.

This little religious arts museum, located in a historic church, is one of the top things to do in Paraty. To be honest, the “museum” part is super small, like, just a few display cases with items along the church walls. But, the church is beautiful, and interesting — it dates back to 1722, making it the oldest in Paraty. It served as the town church for people who had been freed from slavery. Since a stop here only takes a few minutes, I do think it’s worth it.

A church with a green door and and a bell in Paraty, Brazil.

The corner of a building in Paraty, Brazil. A person selling desserts stands in front of the building, and flags hang across the top of the photo. The corner of the building has an interesting blue and white design.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário e São Benedito

This tiny church is the second oldest in town, completed in 1725. It was built by and used by people who were enslaved. It has a more simple style.

Paraty walking tour

One thing I wish I’d had time for was taking a walking tour. There’s so much history all around you in Paraty’s historic center, and while just walking around is great, you’d definitely get way more out of it by learning from a local guide.

Here are a couple of options I have my eye on for next time:

Historic Center Walking Tour & Cachaça Tasting — This 1.5 hour tour has a 4.8 rating, is currently priced at $18 on GetYourGuide, and includes a free tasting!
Free Walking Tours — I’ve gone on tours with this same company in Rio de Janeiro, and they always do a great job! Although it’s free, just be sure to bring some cash to tip your guide at the end. It runs daily at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Two white buildings in a flooded street in Paraty, Brazil. The doors of one building are orange and red, the doors of the other building are blue.

2. Visit Cachaça Distilleries

If you’re a spirits lover, visiting the Paraty cachaça distilleries is one of the most unique things to do in Paraty.

Cachaça is Brazil’s famous spirit made from sugarcane — it dates all the way back to the early 1500s, making it one of the oldest spirits in the Americas. It’s what’s served in the popular caipirinha cocktail that you’ll see all over Brazil, and it’s often enjoyed as a shot too.

Cachaça actually has a huge legacy in Paraty — during the days of colonization, there were around 250 different sugar mills in the region. Today, Paraty is still known as the “cachaça capital” of the country.

You’ll find a number of artisanal distilleries around here, as well as some cachaça shops in town. If you drink, I 100% recommend visiting an artisanal distillery — often referred to as an “alambique,” to learn more about the process. The alambique is a copper or stainless steel vessel used to distill the fermented cane sugar into cachaça, which you’ll see when you visit. Tastings are free at a lot of places, and the two places I visited also had non-alcoholic options to try.

Large bottles of different types of cachaça at a distillery in Paraty, Brazil.

Bottles of cachaça with small cups for samples, at a cachaça distillery in Paraty, Brazil.

The two I visited were:

Engenho D’ouro — One of Paraty’s staples, this is an award-winning distillery inspired by the historical production of cachaça (open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rod. Parati – Cunha, 7833, Km 8, Paraty)

Pedra Branca — Although this is of the newer Paraty distilleries, Pedra Branca uses traditional, artisanal methods with modern equipment There are some really interesting flavors like lemongrass, tangerine, chocolate, and one with a vanilla-like oak flavor (open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Estrada da Pedra Branca Km 1, Paraty)

Here are a couple of other top-rated ones:

Cachaça Maria Izabel — Around since 1996, the sugarcane plantation is actually right onsite, meaning the entire process happens here. Tours are 40 minutes and cost R$10 in cash. (open 10:30 a.m. to 5, with the last tours at 4. Caixa Postal 75078 Sítio Santo Antônio, s/n – Corumbê, Paraty)

Alambique Paratiana — This is another staple that has been around for 30 years. (Estrada Da Pedra Branca KM1 – Bairro Pedra Branca, Paraty)

I visited both as part of a tour (more on that in a bit), but you could definitely go on your own too.

There was also a store right in town, Drinkeria Paratiana, that has a giant collection of flavors that you can try. I ended up buying a bottle of corn-flavored cachaça (sounds weird but was so good), and the Gabriela cachaça, which is cinnamony and is Paraty’s signature flavor.

🍹Want to taste Brazil’s national spirit right from the source? Book a distillery visit here and sample Paraty’s most famous cachaças.

A cachaça store in Paraty, Brazil, with bottles covering the walls around the counter.

The outside of a cachaça distillery in the mountains of Paraty, Brazil.

3. Visit waterfalls

The Paraty waterfalls are some of the most beautiful natural spots in Brazil. Here are the top ones:

Pedra Branca

This beautiful waterfall was located within a private property, so we had to pay $10 BRL (less than $2 USD) to visit. You can swim in the pool around the waterfall, but it was too cold for me when I visited in August. Still super pretty though, and great for photos!

Tobogã

Tobogã is a huge rock that you can slide down — some locals even surf down it, which is crazy to imagine. Again, it was cold and I was a little scared lol so I skipped sliding down. But my husband did, and I will say that it looked fun.

Tarzan’s Pool (Poço do Tarzan)

There’s a little pool around this waterfall that you can swim in, plus a rickety bridge that extends across the water. It feels a little unstable, so I’d just avoid going across if too many people are on it.

My tour group stopped here for lunch. The restaurant, Restaurante Poço do Tarzan, was serving a buffet, with lots of meats, seafood, and side options of typical Brazilian dishes.

Melancia Falls

We didn’t have time to visit this one, but Melancia Falls are the tallest in Paraty, reached via a scenic but more challenging four-hour hike within Serra da Bocaina National Park.

☀️ Don’t worry about driving — this guided Paraty waterfall tour takes you to the most scenic spots. Check prices here.

A waterfall in Paraty, Brazil. — Pedra Branca

4. Take a jeep tour

Want to knock off a few things on this list? Taking a jeep tour is one of the easiest and most popular ways to explore the Paraty area, from the cachaça distilleries to the waterfalls. You’ll see a number of different options available, all with relatively similar prices —

Since we went during the off season, we had no problem just booking a tour the day of. My husband literally just walked outside our accommodation, and saw a few jeeps driving around, and he booked directly with one.

But if you’re visiting during a busier time, it’s definitely a good idea to book ahead.

Jango Tour

We went with Jango Tour, which lasted around five hours and cost $120 BRL per person ($22.48 USD at the time of writing). (We also gave our driver a tip at the end.)

We were picked up right outside of our accommodation, and the tour included two different cachaça distilleries, as well as a couple of different waterfalls, and then a stop at a restaurant for lunch (the price of lunch wasn’t included, and neither was admission for one of the waterfalls, which was located on private property).

🌿 We loved our jeep tour — book your Paraty adventure here before spots fill up.

Another comparable option to consider, depending on availability:

By Paraty Tours

This tour through By Paraty Tours covers a similar route, except it only includes one cachaça distillery, and it includes admission to the Pedra Branca waterfall (I had to pay $10 BRL upon arrival).

🦜 Find out more and book your spot here!

5. Visit the Beaches in Paraty

My trip was unfortunately a bit too short, and my husband and I were heading off to Ilha Grande next, which is known for its insanely beautiful beaches. So, we decided to prioritize the cachaça and waterfall tour instead while we were in Paraty, and save the beaches for the next leg of our trip. The weather was also a little chilly when we visited, so it wasn’t a great beach time.

But, if you have enough time and/or the weather is great, Paraty has some insanely gorgeous beaches of its own.

Here are some top highlights:

Praia do Cachadaço — located in Trinidade, a cute fishing village around 30 minutes outside of Paraty, expect secluded vibes, natural pools, and beachside bars
Praia do Sono — Also in Trinidade, this top beach requires either a quick boat ride from town or a 1.5-hour hike to reach.

A person bikes with a guitar on his back in Paraty, Brazil. Colorful boats are docked to his left.

There are 65 islands near Paraty, so taking a boat tour is the best way to cover some ground and easily visit some of the beaches/islands in one day.

Here are a couple top-rated tour options:

Netuno Tours: 5 hours, 2 beaches and 2 islands

This one is only $19 (lunch will be a separate fee), and includes a snorkel mask. This tour by far has the most reviews, and is recommended by 98% of travelers, so you can be really confident booking this one.

⛵ We didn’t have time for the beaches this trip, but this is the one I’d book next time — check tour options here.

Paraty Tours: 5 hours, 4 stops, includes lunch

This tour also stops at four different beaches/islands, but it includes a traditional Brazilian lunch. (You can also purchase cocktails onboard). It also has great ratings and is recommended by 97% of past travelers. It costs $33.

A couple past reviewers do mention that the guide didn’t speak English, so just something to be aware of.

🌴 Paraty has 65 islands — make sure you see at least a few! Reserve your boat trip here.

A street in Paraty, Brazil, with cobblestones, and large plants framing one building.

Woman stands in front of white building with blue design in Paraty, Brazil.

6. Go Shopping in Paraty

The historic center has so many cute shops, so even if you’re not looking to spend, they’re honestly fun to just walk around and check out. Here are a few that I loved:

DRINKERIA PARATIANA — This store sells a million different types of cachaça, many of which you can try. You’ll also find olive oils and other artisanal kitchen goods.

LIVRARIA DAS MARÉS — I can never resist a bookshop, even when I don’t even speak the language and can’t read anything, lol.

LIVRARIA DE PARATY — Another cute bookstore!

CANOA ARTE INDÍGENA — A really cool store that offers products made by 60 different Indigenous artists. You can find all sorts of art, pottery, bags, figurines, and more.

The outside of a restaurant in Paraty, Brazil. The windows have red detailing, and the tables have red and green table clothes. A chalkboard sign in the window says "Hoke Filé peito come pure arrov e feijão, frango grelhado"

7. Check Out Paraty, Brazil Restaurants

Paraty is an UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy — so no Paraty travel guide would be complete without some restaurant recommendations.

I honestly wish I did more research about this before I went. The colonial center seems small, but there are actually so many cute restaurants to choose from, that deciding where to eat in Paraty can actually be a bit overwhelming.

Prices were definitely higher than I expected, coming from Rio de Janeiro, so just keep that in mind.

Zen Mongolian’s Hall

We had dinner here on our first night in Paraty, and seriously, so good.

We had a lamb and vegetables dish, plus a flatbread with a delicious mango sauce, a couple of cocktails, and a creme brulee for dessert. The flavors were amazing (it’s so hard for me to find spicy food in Brazil, and the sauce we were given on the side was 🥵), and the restaurant had a cozy vibe, with live music.

Our bill came out to $220 BRL (~$41 USD).

Two cocktails in Paraty, Brazil. The drink on the left has a thick, strawberry slush cocktail, with a white cream on the top. On the right is the Jorge Amado cocktail, the signature drink in Paraty, which has passionfruit and cachaça. — *Zen Mongolian’s Hall (left and center) and La Dolce Vita Trattoria e Pizzeria (right)*

An overhead view of three bowls filled with rice, lanb, and a salad with tomatoes and croutons, at a Mongolian restaurant in Paraty, Brazil. — *Zen Mongolian’s Hall (left and center) and La Dolce Vita Trattoria e Pizzeria (right)*

La Dolce Vita Trattoria e Pizzeria

We had dinner here on our second night, and shared a pizza and a salad — I’m pretty picky about Italian food, but this place really hit the spot. I also loved all the decor, from the vintage movie posters to the bottles of wine.

We spent $187 BRL, ~$35 USD.

One of my biggest regrets of having such a short time in Paraty was that we missed out on getting to try so many places. Here are a few others that I’ve heard great things about that are on my list for next time:

Banana da Terra

This is a fancy restaurant that’s been around since the ‘90s and that literally everyone recommends in Paraty, so I’ll pass on that recommendation to you.

The menu focuses on local ingredients and traditional Paraty-region recipes. I have heard it’s a bit overpriced for small portions, but if you’re looking for Paraty’s top upscale dining, this is it. And honestly, the photos look amazing.

Thai Brasil

Out of all my visits to Brazil, I don’t think I’ve ever even passed by a Thai restaurant, so I’m kind of sad I missed this one. This is another spot that constantly gets recommended — and it looks so cute too.

Van Gogh Hamburgueria

We walked past this burger place a bunch of times, and it seriously looked so good. I wanted to stick around Paraty longer on our last day just so we’d have time to have lunch here, but it just didn’t end up making sense timing-wise.

A building with flowers and plants climbing up the balcony in Paraty, Brazil. A cart selling desserts is in front.

A street with a church, in Paraty, Brazil.

8. Enjoy Nightlife

Like I said, Paraty has a huge cachaça culture, so it’s no surprise that its nightlife has lots to offer. My husband and I were super exhausted during our time here, so we didn’t take as much advantage of the nightlife as we would’ve wanted, but we did get a little taste of it.

It’s not like a crazy party scene like in Rio, and places don’t stay open super late, but you’ll still find lots of bars and places with live music all around the historic center.

We got a couple drinks from Cana da Praça Cachaça Bar — they had a two caipirinhas for $20 BRL (less than $4 USD) deal that was too good to pass up. The drinks weren’t great in my opinion, but I’m not going to complain for that price!

Here are a couple of other options:

Casa Coupe — this is the #1 bar in Paraty on Tripadvisor. It looks like there’s a solid food menu featuring mostly classic Brazilian bar snacks and burgers, frequent live music, and a warm vibe. A lot of past guests rave about the service too.
Cervejaria Cabore-Choperia e Restaurante — If you’re looking for beer, this is your spot. Just a quick walk outside of the historic center, this brewery and taproom offers a range of craft beers, plus a food menu. On Sundays, there’s live music and traditional feijoada too.
Sarau Paraty Bar e Restaurante — This place seems super popular largely because of its vibe — there’s live music every day, and the drinks are supposed to be great. Their menu also includes some pasta, seafood, and meat dishes

Woman sits on stoop in front of green door, with plants next to her, in Paraty, Brazil.

Woman stands on rock in front of waterfall in Paraty, Brazil.

9. Attend a Festival

Ok, this one is a bit more schedule-dependent, but planning your Paraty itinerary around one of its festivals is a great way to experience the town’s culture (unless you hate crowds, in which case, you’d better plan to avoid these festivals like the plague).

If you do plan to visit during an event, definitely be sure to book hotels in advance, and expect higher prices.

Events happen throughout the year, so I won’t bore you with them all, but these are some of the major ones.

Paraty International Literary Festival (July or August)

People come from all over to Paraty, for Brazil’s biggest literary festival.

I’m unclear if the literary festival would actually be much fun if you don’t speak Portuguese, but honestly, I would still be down to go and see.

Paraty has such a cool literary vibe throughout the city (its most famous cocktail, the Jorge Amado, is even named after the famous Brazilian author, while their specialty cachaça flavor, the Gabriela, is named for a character in one of his novels), so you just know they go all out for their literary fair.

Cachaça Culture and Flavors Festival (August or September)

Of course there has to be a cachaça festival in Paraty. Apart from celebrating Brazil’s national drinks, also expect lots of music and traditional Brazilian dancing like samba or forró.

International Photography Festival (September)

Ok, I am actually determined to make it to this one some day. This event has been around for about 20 years, making it Brazil’s oldest continuous photography festival, and has become one of the most prominent of its kind in Latin America. The festival features lots of exhibitions and workshops.

Gastronomy Festival (October)

This four-day festival is a celebration of Brazilian culinary traditions, and includes everything from potlucks and lectures, to workshops and conversation circles, with all sorts of culinary experts.

Tall trees framing a dirt pathway near a waterfall in Paraty, Brazil.

10. Go Hiking

Located in the dreamy “Green Coast” or Brazil, you just know that hiking will be amazing around Paraty! This is sadly another thing I didn’t have time for.

Apart from the hikes we’ve already talked about – to reach Melancia Falls or to Sono Beach, one hike that’s super popular here is Pico do Pão de Açúcar/Sugarloaf (not the one in Rio!).

This is considered a fairly difficult hike, as there’s a 1,400-foot incline, and it takes most people 40 minutes to an hour to complete. You’ll also have to do a little bit of scrambling at the top, to reach the insane views overlooking Saco do Mamanguá, which is often referred to as a tropical fjord (technically, it’s a “submerged coastal valley.”)

Planning your Paraty trip

Getting to Paraty is super straightforward — it’s about a four-hour drive from both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo along Brazil’s dreamy Green Coast (Costa Verde). You can rent a car for the freedom to stop at beaches along the way, take a comfortable bus, or book a shared transfer if you’d rather skip driving.

Paraty has plenty of pousadas (guesthouses) to fit any budget. I stayed at Pousada Doce Paraty right in the historic center — affordable, walkable, and cozy — but there are some beautiful mid-range and boutique spots too.

If you’re wondering when to go, the warmer months (December – March) are ideal for beach days and festivals, while winter (June – August) brings cooler temps and fewer crowds.

👉 Ready to plan the details? Check out my full Paraty Travel Guide for everything you need to organize your trip — where to stay, how to get there, what to pack, and the best time to visit.

If you’re planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, Paraty is seriously the perfect addition to your time. Perfect for anyone craving a slower, culturally rich Brazil experience, Paraty offers such a huge contrast to Brazil’s big cities, all with a side of some of that amazing nature that Brazil is known for.

I’d wanted to visit Paraty for so long, and it 100% met my expectations. It was one of the highlights of my last Rio de Janeiro trip, and I know you’ll feel the same!

If you’re visiting Rio de Janeiro, you definitely want to drop your email below — my curated map, created over my several visits to Rio (with the help of my husband, a Rio local) is packed with the best sightseeing, restaurants, bars, and more.