Three days is enough to fall for Paraty. Here's the itinerary I send guests who ask me to plan it — town, bay, and forest, one to a day, with room to breathe.
By Bianca · 2026-07-20
The trick to Paraty is not cramming. Give each landscape its own day — the colonial center, the island bay, the forest waterfalls — and alternate effort with ease. This is the rhythm that leaves people booking a fourth night.
Ease in. Have coffee and pão de queijo on the deck, then head down to the historic center mid-morning. Wander the cobblestones with no fixed plan; duck into the churches; visit the Casa da Cultura. Take the short walk up to the Forte Defensor Perpétuo for a full-bay view. Lunch somewhere simple, nap through the hottest hour by the pool, then return for dinner in the candlelit center — Banana da Terra if you want to splurge. Walk the lamplit streets before a taxi home.
The big one. Take a schooner or private boat out into the bay — three or four island coves, snorkelling, grilled fish on board, and the islands rising around you. Go in the morning for calm water. Back by late afternoon, rinse off in the pool, and keep dinner easy — a beach kiosk at Pontal, or a boteco in town for moqueca. You'll sleep well.
Swap salt for fresh water. Drive out to the Tobogã waterfall and the Sete Quedas pools in the morning, then tour a cachaça distillery next door for a tasting — the classic Paraty pairing. Afternoon back at the chalet for the sunset and the moonrise over the bay. If you've timed it right, you won't want to leave — which is rather the point.
Add a beach: drive to Trindade for the natural pool, or hike into Praia do Sono. Or do nothing at all — a hammock, the pool, a long lunch. Paraty is as good slow as it is busy.
Pick your chalet and check live dates on Airbnb, or message Bianca first — she'll help you plan transfers, tours, and the little details.