Best Things to Do in Paraty, Brazil's Cachaça Capital

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If you’re looking for one of South America’s best hidden gems, look no further. Wedged between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, along Brazi’s 325-mile Green Coast, Paraty is such an easy weekend trip – and so worth it.

The best things to do in Paraty, Brazil are exploring its historic center (it’s so cute and charming, I could’ve spent all day literally just taking photos), visiting waterfalls, cachaça distilleries, and beaches, not to mention diving into its UNESCO-recognized culinary scene.

I spent a couple of days here with my husband for our honeymoon in August 2025, and I can’t believe it took me years of visiting Brazil to come to this gorgeous, colonial-style town.

If you’re planning your Paraty itinerary, this guide covers it all — from the sites you can’t miss in the historic center, to the best jeep tours for exploring the surrounding area.

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.

⛵️ My Quick Paraty Planning Tips 🎨

🌿 Don’t skip taking a waterfall and cachaça distillery tour!

🏝️ A cozy and affordable bed and breakfast right in Paraty’s historic center

🌎 My go-to travel insurance for Brazil

📱 My favorite eSIM (I had service even at Rio’s most remote beaches — use code TESS5 for 5% off!)

✈️ How I find the best flight deals to Paraty (fly into Rio or São Paulo!)

🧳 At the top of my packing list: Sneakers, a travel umbrella, and a portable phone charger

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 taken 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 thing to do in Paraty because well, it’s just super beautiful.

The historic center of Paraty is pretty small, and doesn’t technically take long to fully see, 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 $19 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. (It’s also a nod to Paraty’s literary culture, since it’s named after the novel “Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon,” by Brazilian author Jorge Amado.)

🍹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 (Pedra Branca, Tobogã, Tarzan’s Pool, Melancia)

The Paraty waterfalls, which are tucked inside the Green Coast’s lush forests, 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.

The Pedra Branca waterfall in Paraty, Brazil. — Pedra Branca

See them by 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.

There are a number of different tour operators in town, 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 at the time of writing, it around $29 USD. (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.

Pedra Branca waterfall in Paraty, Brazil.

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!

The mountains behind the waves at Prainha Beach in Rio de Janeiro at sunset.

Rio de Janeiro’s a huge city — but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

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4. Take a Boat Tour to Paraty’s Beaches

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.

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 for exploring Paraty’s beaches:

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.

5. Visit Trindade and Praia do Cachadaço

If you want a beach day outside of town, Trindade is the classic pick. This laid-back fishing village sits about 15 miles from Paraty (plan on 40 to 60 minutes by road, depending on traffic), with rainforest-backed beaches, casual beach bars, hammocks, and several beaches within easy reach of each other.

I didn’t make it here this trip (it was chilly, and I prioritized the distilleries and waterfalls), but it’s high on my list for next time. Here’s what I’d do:

Praia do Cachadaço: A roughly 20-minute walk from Trindade village leads to shallow natural pools ringed by rocks. They’re great for swimming and snorkeling, so bring your own mask.
Praia Brava: Known for waves crashing over huge granite boulders.
Getting there: Drive, take a day tour (this is a highly-rated one!) or catch a bus from Paraty’s bus station.

6. Visit Saco do Mamanguá

Saco do Mamanguá is one of the most unique spots near Paraty: a long, narrow inlet, about 7 km deep, hemmed in by dense jungle and often called Brazil’s only tropical fjord. Many of its beaches, trails, and tiny pousadas can only be reached by boat.

I didn’t have time to visit this trip, but it’s at the top of my list for next time. Here’s what I’ve gathered:

Boat tours: This seems like the easiest option. Many Paraty boat tours include it as a highlight.
On your own: Head to Paraty Mirim, about 9 miles/15 km south of town, and hire a boat there. According to my research, it could cost around $50 for a boat to drop you off, wait during your hike, and bring you back.
The hike: The big draw is the climb up Pico do Pão de Açúcar (not the one in Rio!). It’s a roughly 1,400-foot ascent that takes most people 40 minutes to an hour, with a little scrambling at the top and views over the whole fjord. Apparently the trail loops to a gentler slope on the far side, and it’s a tough climb, but doable for most.

7. Hike or boat to Praia do Sono

Praia do Sono is a long, secluded beach with emerald water, a tiny fishing village, and a few restaurants. It takes some effort to reach, so it’s quieter than Paraty’s more accessible beaches.

By trail: The hike starts in the village of Laranjeiras (about a 40-minute drive from Paraty) and takes roughly 1.5 hours through jungle. Travelers say the trail is well kept but challenging, and the route to the trailhead isn’t clearly signed, though locals are happy to point the way.
By boat: Boats run from Paraty (30 to 45 minutes depending on the boat and sea conditions), and a short boat links Laranjeiras and Sono, so you can hike one way and boat back.

I haven’t been yet, so check current boat prices and times locally.

A white car on the cobblestones of Paraty, Brazil.

8. 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"

9. Check Out Paraty’s Food Scene

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 it was probably my favorite meal of the trip.

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 🥵).

Plus, the restaurant had a really cozy vibe, with live music, and friendly service.

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 with 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.

10. 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.

11. 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 (usually in late July)

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 (usually late August)

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 (dates vary)

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.

12. Go Hiking

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

The most popular hike is arguably 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.”)

A couple of other hiking options:

Forte Defensor Perpétuo: A short 10 to 15 minute walk through bamboo forest to a fort above town, with views over the harbor.
The Gold Trail (Caminho do Ouro): Hikes along the original stone-paved route that once carried gold to Paraty’s port. Because signage is limited and parts cross private property, a guide is recommended. [Link your Viator Gold Trail tour here]

Planning your Paraty trip

Getting to Paraty is super straightforward — it’s about four hours by road from Rio de Janeiro and around five from São Paulo. For bus options, where to stay, and what to pack, see my full Paraty Travel Guide.

Heading to Ilha Grande next? Here are my best things to do in Ilha Grande.

Best Things to Do in Paraty, Brazil’s Cachaça Capital