Paraty - Brazil

This colonial jewel, which was declared a national monument by UNESCO in 1966, lies on the coast 165 miles (265 km) south west of Rio. Surrounded by beautiful, rugged beaches, numerous islands off the coast, parks with bromeliad plantations and waterfalls, Paraty is a highly desirable tourist destination.

Paraty still preserves one of the most harmonious architectonic Colonial houses of the country, and retains the character of the city that was founded in the sixteenth century. And its streets - of stones - call the attention of those who come from outside: most of them have two names, one official and other public. The main attractions are the Historical Center - it covers practically the entire city - that offers several sites open to visitors as the old jail, gallows, museums and churches.

Located in a bay with clear blue, Parati also has many beaches - some even without urbanization and fishing villages. For the more adventurous there are boat trips and great places for diving at nearby islands.

Paraty was an important trading center in colonial days. During the eighteenth century, its port was used to embark for the State of Rio de Janeiro the gold brought from Minas Gerais for the old Gold Road. In the next century, it served to export the coffee produced in the Paraíba Valley, located in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

With the arrival of the railroad between the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the late nineteenth century, the port lost importance and the city went through a period of forgetfulness. Only with the opening of new roads, in the 1970s, the beauty of Paraty was rediscovered and became an internationally famous tourist spot, offering visitors good inns and excellent restaurants.

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