After a busy few days of travelling around Iguassu, it was now time to make our way deeper into Brazil. Flying from Foz de Iguaçu, we took the relatively short flight up to Sao Paulo before a six hour bus journey out to Paraty. It was incredible to see the scale of Sao Paolo from the sky – it seemed to just stretch on as far as you could see.
Paraty on the other hand was completely different. Originally an old gold mining town, it had fallen into disrepair before being reinvigorated by the production of Cachaça (a local spirit which is used in the rather dangerous drink Caipirinha – responsible for a fair few sore heads on the tour). The town is split into two, the modern end of town where our pousada (the Brazilian name for a kind of B&B) was and the beautiful old town with incredible architecture, beautiful boats and cobbled streets.
We currently have rubbish wifi so it’s really hard to upload any images. We’ll add more later but for the moment here’s one from Instagram!
The G Adventures tour offers a load of optional activities in Paraty but, to be honest, we were so tired after a few days around Iguassu that we took the opportunity to rest up a little bit (particularly as the local beach was a little underwhelming and so paddle boarding and kayaking didn’t really seem worth it there). Quite a lot of the group also took this approach, however, a small number did take up the boat tour which explores the local islands and beaches – some of which are supposed to be absolutely stunning.
The one activity I did slip in was a quick run around Paraty which was tough in the heat and humidity but enjoyable all the same!
Practicalities
As we were on the G Adventures tour we were in their hands in terms of accommodation but the Pousada Laguna Blue where we stayed was nice. The rooms were relatively basic but nice and clean and the breakfast was great (make sure you try the banana cake!). There was also a nice pool which as a group we hung out around with a few cervejas.
We ate with the group most of the time too but we did also venture out for lunch one day and enjoyed a fantastic meal at a lovely restaurant by the river called Dona Ondina. We had grilled sole with potatoes, rice and a particular favourite of mine – heart of palms (palmito).