São Paulo – One of the major cultural events in Brazil is the Paraty International Literary Festival (Flip), held annually in the historical city on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Miltom Hatoum, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Chico Buarque have featured in the debate tents raised by the sea. The French Emmanuele Carrère and the Brazilian João Ubaldo Ribeiro have confirmed their attendance at the event this year. During the Flip, Paraty is featured in newspapers, websites and blogs. There is, however, much more to the city than the event that should crowd its narrow streets from July 7th to 10th this year.
Paraty has beautiful beaches, excellent food and lots of history to be recounted, with no haste. After all, Paraty is in no danger of changing overnight, as it has been declared a Brazilian natural, architectural and historical heritage site.
Tour routes may vary, but the beach of Trindade, approximately a 20 minute-ride away from the centre of the city, is a must. The sand strip is narrow and many are the stones on the path of visitors. The stones, however, do not detract from the ride. On the contrary, they are part of it. They form small beaches every 200 metres. Trindade gets nicer as you cross the stone barriers. With each "border" conquered, the sight becomes prettier, divided between the ocean and the continent. Surfers love it, because waves higher than one metre are not rare.
At Vila de Trindade (the local village), there are houses for rent and restaurants. Even though it is part of Paraty, Trindade feels like another city, even calmer than Paraty.
Back in the city, how about getting some rest before dinner at dusk? Fish and seafood are part of the local cuisine. Moquecas and recipes using ingredients so well-known to Brazilians, such as cassava and banana, will never let you down. Rather have pasta? No problem. Quiche and salad? You got it. Pizza? The chefs in Paraty make great ones. In addition to fine restaurants, Paraty has lots of bars for those who would rather watch as the day goes by, seeing the sights that only Paraty can offer. The city also houses several small stores that sell all sorts of spices, pastas, sweet preserves and beverage.
It is not easy to walk the narrow streets of Paraty. The pé-de-moleque stones, a leftover from the colonial past, make it hard to take steps, but even that is a plus for visitors. When walking slower, they can check out the beauty of the colonial buildings. Without haste, tourists find more time to unearth local handicraft and view the classical and colonial buildings.
History abounds in Paraty. The earliest records of the region date back to 1596, when the territory now occupied by the municipality was inhabited by the Goianás Indians. The city would only be established in 1667, with the building of the church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Our Lady of Good Remedy). Still a village, it was baptized as Vila de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios de Paraty. Up until the 19th century, Paraty developed thanks to the sugar mills and exports of gold from the state of Minas Gerais, which got to the coast of Rio de Janeiro via the Estrada Real road.
With its natural beauty, in addition to being a setting for films and a stage for literary debate, Paraty also specializes in cachaça (cane spirit). It once had over 100 alambiques (distilleries). Currently, less than ten distillers survive, but Paraty still boasts the best cachaças. So much so that in August, the city stages the Festival da Pinga (Cane Spirit Fest). Aside from this heritage of its colonial past, Paraty has lots of churches. The first chapel no longer exists. It was demolished to make way for larger headquarters as the city grew. The current Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios was built in 1873. The oldest church in Paraty is the Church of Santa Rita. Built in 1722, it is a national heritage site. Currently, it houses the museum of sacred art of the municipality.
Whether you are a tourist who loves good food, enjoys history, or wants to be in touch with nature, Paraty always offers opportunities for good leisure. All of that and heated literary debates every year at the Flip.
Where to stay in Paraty
Pousada do Sandi – Rua do Rosário, 01, Centro Histórico – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-1236 e (+55 11) 2503-0195
Pousada Villa del Rey – Rua Cinco, 2 – Portal de Paraty – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-2086
Pousada dos Contos – Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1, Centro Histórico – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-7505
Pousada Filhos da Terra Trindade – Rua Principal, no number – Trindade, Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-5189
Where to eat
Restaurante Banana da Terra – R. Dr. Samuel Costa, 198, Centro Histórico – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-1725
Restaurante Bistrô Brasil Paraty – Praça da Bandeira, 01, Centro Histórico – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-8220
Restaurante Thay Paraty – Alameda Princesa Isabel, Pontal – Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-2772
Restaurante A Casa – Rua Principal, s/nº – Trindade, Paraty – (+55 24) 3371-5243
Who can take you there
CVC – bus packages (3 days and 2 nights) – starting at 558 reals (US$ )
Marsans – air and land packages (3 days and 2 nights) – request an estimate
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
