
For a small town, Paraty throws a remarkable calendar — a world-class literary festival, a centuries-old religious feast, cachaça, jazz, and a Carnival like no other. Here's the year.
Some festivals fill every pousada in town, so they're worth planning around — either to catch them, or to avoid the crowds. Dates shift year to year, so confirm before you book; your host always knows what's on.
FLIP (Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty) is the town's most famous event and one of the biggest literary festivals in the Americas — days of authors, debates, and readings that spill from the tents into every bar and square. It draws a huge, bookish crowd; the town buzzes and beds vanish. If you want to attend, book far ahead; if you don't, avoid FLIP week. Dates move year to year, so check the current schedule.

Paraty's great religious festival, the Festa do Divino, unfolds around Pentecost (roughly May–June, fifty days after Easter). Expect processions, folk music, the bandeira flag, fireworks over the bay, and a town in celebration — one of the most authentic cultural experiences on the coast.
Paraty's Carnival (February or March) is famous for the Bloco da Lama — revellers coat themselves in mangrove mud at Praia do Jabaquara and parade into town as 'prehistoric' creatures. It's joyful, muddy chaos, alongside more traditional blocos in the streets. The town is packed and lively; book early and expect a party.
Pick your chalet and check live dates on Airbnb, or message Bianca first — she'll help you plan transfers, tours, and the little details.