Capitol of Cachaça! - Paraty

14/03 – 17/03

A small colonial town where the Brazilian spirit 'Cachaça' is produced on a large scale from sugar cane juice and is surrounded by the Serra da Bocaina National Park, which not only offers mountains but also wonderful beaches. This sounds like a place to spend a few days and explore in more detail!

In Ubatuba, we had to reluctantly return our rental car. The employee tried to charge us more money than agreed, but we had the booking confirmation at hand and the issue was quickly resolved. We took a taxi to the bus station and checked our tickets. During the waiting time for the bus, I saw some shady characters in Brazil for the first time. Two shady guys were hanging around the bus platform, eyeing the waiting people. I had the impression that they might be targeting the luggage. But since they didn't move a meter during the hour we spent there, I dismissed them as harmless homeless people. The one-hour bus ride flew by with sunny weather and a wonderful view of the Costa Verde coastline.

After checking in, we immediately put on our swimsuits and left the hostel towards the beach. The village beach 'Praia do Pontal' was not inviting at all, so we took a short walk to the next beach, 'Praia Jabaquara'. It didn't come close to a 'picture book beach', but it was enough for a light lunch - finally an affordable and delicious fish - and relaxation by the sea.

In the evening, we strolled through the historic city center and got a first impression. The colorful colonial buildings and the streets paved with large cobblestones reminded us of a mix of Cartagena and Salento. In Paraty, we saw other backpackers for the first time and appealing cafes, restaurants, and shops. There are also a few tour operator offices and several street artists selling their music or handcrafted goods. All in all, the first impression was very positive. The only challenge was walking with flip flops on the uneven cobblestones, as it is very easy to stumble if you don't pay attention to your steps. After an extremely delicious dinner, we treated ourselves to an affordable but very strong Caipirinha in a dive bar.

Our hostel offered a full-day tour consisting of three individual activities. We decided to go for the full package and booked it for the next day. The next morning, we got up early and prepared for the first part. However, the jeep tour was postponed to the next day because the tour guide was not available on that day. So we had some time left until the second part, and we decided to explore the city during the day. Shortly before 11 o'clock, we went to the docks, from where the boat tour was supposed to start. We were a bit early and had to wait in the scorching sun. The thermometer was already approaching the daily high temperature of 36 degrees Celsius! Eventually, the remaining tour participants also showed up, and we could finally get on board.

For the next six hours, we cruised through the beautiful waters of Paraty with the crew members - two Brazilians and one Dutch woman - and 8 other passengers. The tour was aptly named 'Caipboat' as free Caipirinhas were served throughout the entire journey. At first, I thought that each person would receive 2-3 drinks throughout the day, but I was quickly proven wrong. Immediately after leaving the harbor, the first bucket of Caipirinhas was mixed and distributed in plastic cups to the people. With a delicious Caipi in hand, we enjoyed the gentle breeze and the stunning scenery. The sea was calm and bright blue, the mountains in the distance lush green, and the sky cloudless. We passed by small private islands with breathtaking houses - that would be a place to retire! :) I liked the surroundings so much that I decided to stay sober the whole day and absorb as much of this ambiance as possible.

We made the first stop near a small densely overgrown island. Immediately, everyone jumped into the cool water from the sun deck. The water was incredibly clear and refreshing. The crew threw small pieces of banana on a narrow ledge of the island, and it only took a few moments for the first hungry animal to appear. A large lizard grabbed one of the pieces and enjoyed it. Then we swam to the ledge and held the banana pieces up in the air to attract the about 15 cm small and quite furry monkeys hiding in the treetops, giving us skeptical looks. I managed to serve food to a small monkey family twice! :)

After the monkey feeding, the Dutch woman mentioned that there was a rope hanging further back in the bay, which could be used to climb onto a rock and jump into the water. So I swam in that direction, discovered it, and was the first one to make a dive into the water from the 2.5 meters high sun deck - albeit hanging on to my nose - there's still room for improvement! ;)

At the second stop, a spot between two islands with turquoise blue water, Emi overcame her fear of jumping into the water from a height. Perhaps it had something to do with her consumption of Caipirinhas, but she bravely jumped into the water - at least from the two and a half meter high sun deck! Of course, holding her nose - there's definitely room for improvement in terms of looking cool! ;)

For lunch, we docked at a small beach where we had the opportunity to grab something to eat. Emi and I shared a delicious set menu with fresh fish accompanied by rice, salad, and bean sauce. The other tour participants didn't think about lunch and stayed near our boat or close to the Caipirinha source. When we returned to the boat after the lunch break, everyone was already tipsy and suddenly could speak all kinds of languages fluently. Their looks also spoke volumes.

Our last stop took us to another small beach, where we jumped into the water from the boat roof many times and experimented with all sorts of effects on our phone cameras. The sun was already lower in the sky, making the surroundings even more impressive. As a final activity, we decided to swim a short distance to a platform attached to the sea before the siren sounded, calling everyone back on board for the return journey to Paraty.

Halfway there, we suddenly noticed that one of the drunks - a young Brazilian - had fallen overboard. Unfortunately, we didn't see if he intentionally jumped into the water or simply fell off the sun deck due to his alcohol level. Anyway, he leisurely floated around on his back, without worrying about the boat and his own rescue. Our captain immediately turned the boat around and headed towards him. The shipwrecked person almost got run over by the boat because he wasn't paying attention to where he was swimming. The captain was visibly annoyed by this unnecessary action, but I guess that's the risk on a boat with unlimited Caipirinhas...

When we docked in the harbor, the drunk Brazilian immediately jumped back into the water. Apparently, he didn't realize that we were already in the dirty canal of Paraty, and the water was far from inviting for swimming. When asked, he explained his actions by saying that he thought we were still at the beach. Meanwhile, his equally intoxicated female companion filled the remaining Caipirinha leftovers into a plastic bottle, so they would be equipped for the journey home. The remaining passengers on the sun deck were slowly awakening from their coma. Only the Italian guy had a hard time regaining consciousness. The captain finally accompanied him ashore. Emi had helped herself to a few Caipirinhas, but besides the crew, we were the only ones who didn't look like we had spent the day on the Caipi-Boat! :)

After a short break in the room, we went to the last tour attraction of the day in the evening. This consisted of a craft beer tasting. The hostel owner had given us a voucher for a total of ten glasses and the address of the bar. We ordered a small dinner with the beers and played cards until the value of the voucher was completely used up. A worthy conclusion to this wonderful day!

The next morning, the postponed jeep tour was still on the program. Actually, we weren't really in the mood anymore, and since the previous evening, Emi had been nagging me about canceling the tour. But we decided to go for it. We were picked up by our tour guide Ronny in the jeep shortly after breakfast, and he explained that two other guys who had also booked the tour simply didn't want to get up and had canceled. So, once again, we had a private tour. During the drive, Ronny told us about the history of Paraty in rather poor English, making it a bit difficult to concentrate. After 30 minutes, we arrived in the middle of nature, and he led us to the first spot: the 'Toboggan Waterfall', which is like a natural water slide. The water was cold, but sliding down was a lot of fun.

A few meters further up in the forest, there was another waterfall with a large natural pool called the 'Tarzan Pool', next to a restaurant. It was a perfect place for swimming. However, our guide had caught my full attention when he casually mentioned that you could jump into the pool from a rock. So I immediately started looking for the way up and eventually found a ladder. I climbed up, and for the last steep part towards the jumping point, I used a rope attached there. When I stood at the edge and looked down into the pool below me, I suddenly wasn't so sure if I really wanted to jump. It was quite high, I estimate about 10 to 12 meters. When another guide on the opposite side gave me a signal that it was safe to jump, I decided to do it. Emi and a few other spectators took out their cameras, and off I went. The impact only slightly hurt the soles of my feet, so I immediately jumped again. When we left the pool, Ronny mentioned that he doesn't like it when his tour participants jump and that I was only the third guy on his tour to jump. After all, he has been doing this tour for 3 years...

After this adrenaline rush, we changed into dry clothes and walked back to the jeep without getting in, but instead, crossed the street to the Cachaça distillery for tasting and to calm our nerves. We tasted almost all the different types of Cachaça offered and bought two bottles for our home bar. Soon, we will be able to enjoy delicious Caipirinhas! :) Just in time before the rain started, Ronny drove us back to the hostel, where we stayed during the storm. You can't imagine how heavy the rain can be in the rainforest region - a lot was coming down! In the evening, when the rain stopped, we took a final walk through the city center, had dinner, and did a little shopping tour.

In conclusion:

So far, we liked Paraty the most in Brazil. Slowly but surely, Brazil and we are becoming good friends. You just need a bit of luck with the weather, then there is probably no more beautiful place I can imagine. In Paraty, we could have easily spent one or two more nights. The city has a nice historic center and a good infrastructure, which is not insignificant for (backpacker) tourists. At the same time, it is not completely overrun by tourists and has maintained a certain tranquility. We didn't check out the beaches along the coast in Paraty, but we are convinced that they are worth a multi-day stay.

Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: Ilha Grande <<