High Climbs & High Tides: Last Days In Paraty
We’re not always altogether comfortable with organised group tours, and although both of the outings with Paraty Tours have been good, it’s time to go independent again after two successive days of being chaperoned by others. So Wednesday morning we head to the bus station and wait in the heat for the number 25 bus to Trindade which, by the time the driver reverses out of the stand, is ridiculously overloaded with far too many people and far too much baggage.
The little bus really struggles on the mountain climbs, with the driver opting for first gear and a raging engine uphill, then inching slowly down the other side with foot firmly on the brake pedal as if he fears a runaway all the way down to the sea. Trindade has a reputation as a hidden gem, but as the bus crosses the ford and rolls into the village, we don’t yet know that we are going to be quite so taken with it.
Trindade itself, formerly a remote fishing village, is a gorgeously ramshackle place with a bohemian, laid back – is it still appropriate to say hippie? – vibe. Beads, beards, dreadlocks and psychedelic patterns wander by: it’s as if successive generations of gap year travellers found their way here, decided it was their paradise spot, and never moved on. And it’s easy to understand why they might do that.
As well as the village itself, Trindade boasts fabulous beaches either side of its rocky promontory – but, as is often the case, put in a little extra effort and you will be rewarded. Hike for around 20 minutes through the forested headland and you will reach Praia do Cachadaço, and if this isn’t the epitome of paradise tropical beaches then we don’t know what is. A huge golden expanse fringed by glorious greenery and the rolling blue Atlantic, beautiful clear warm water, a couple of modest wooden drink shacks nestled in the trees and, best of all, hardly anybody here. It’s just that bit too far for most people to make it. Praia Cachadaço rates as one of our all time best paradise beaches.
So after a day discovering a piece of paradise, Thursday brings our final excursion with Paraty Tours, and our biggest challenge of our seven days in the town, scaling the imposing Pico do Pão de Açucar to soak in the wonderful views of the incredible coastal tapestry which is Paraty Bay.
Journeying from Paraty to the foot of the rock with our guide Paco and four other travellers (from Belgium, Slovenia and Italy), the speedboat races through the waves past numerous attractive islands and complicated irregular coastlines, always cloaked in the fabulous multiple shades of green. This area is endlessly beautiful. We soon begin the climb, and it’s not an easy one – in fact, that’s a bit of an understatement, as the trail has an elevation gain of 425 metres in only 1.5 kilometres. The fact that Paco warns us that a hike of only 1.5km will take at least 75 minutes tells you what you need to know.
We’ve made a bit of an error too: it soon becomes clear that we should have taken on more breakfast fuel than our usual papaya and yoghurt and we quickly find ourselves short of energy – not helped by the fact that the snacks we’ve bought which are labelled “bacon flavour” actually taste more like hospital disinfectant than anything which came from a pig. Disgusting and completely inedible. It’s a testing climb which in places is more clambering and hauling up body weight than hiking, but eventually reaching the summit makes every strained muscle and every difficult step worth the pain: the views are more than spectacular.
Below us is Saco do Mamanguá, apparently the world’s only tropical fjord, a gorgeous and unique sight, then stretching for miles in each direction is the mountainous, convoluted coastline, endlessly stimulating until it disappears into the haze. The fantastically deep blues of the ocean and the verdant greens of the rainforest make for an unforgettable panorama. For a while it’s just the seven of us – Paco and his flock of six – at the summit, with time to just soak up this amazing once-in-a-lifetime scene. It is so fabulous that it leaves all of us speechless for a while.
The descent is, as you would expect, quicker than the climb but puts pressure on the knees and brings just as much in the way of perspiration, we must have shed pounds these last few hours! Back down in the fishing hamlet at the foot of the rock, the relief as we all plunge into the welcoming Atlantic waters is palpable – it’s a surprise that we don’t give off steam as we enter.
We compare notes with our companions on our next plans for our travels. Paco and Giuseppe the Italian both frown as we say we intend returning to the paradise beach at Trindade tomorrow. Surely they can’t dislike it? No, there’s another reason for their frown.
“Have you looked at the weather tomorrow?” asks Giuseppe. We haven’t.
“Ohhhh”, says Paco, “tomorrow will be like a big water balloon has burst above Paraty. Big big rain”. Ah.
It’s here before breakfast. We wake to the sound of it lashing on to the windows and look out to find palm fronds fallen from the trees and scattered across the lawns. It’s pelting down. We’re not, of course, surprised to see rain in a rainforest – the clue is in the name, after all – but maybe a second visit to Trindade is no longer our best option for our last day here. It’s a shame, but then, being grounded in Paraty for a day is hardly a bad thing.
And there’s a great bonus from mooching around Paraty on this rainy Friday: the high tide. As we mentioned in our first post from here, there are occasions when the highest tides breach the harbour walls and fill the streets of the old town with sea water for a couple of hours. It’s an unusual sight, watching the tide rise against the classy colonial buildings and swamp the cobbled streets, turning Paraty into a temporary Venice. Those buildings are given some great reflections in the rising water, too. It’s a fascinating spectacle.
The sun doesn’t make a single appearance today, not for a second. Rain is frequent, cloud is permanent, and the temperature has dropped a remarkable 10 degrees since yesterday – by evening it’s properly cool, so different from last night’s intense humidity. For the first time we don’t need either the fan or the AC to get to sleep. Paco told us that he despises winter, when the thermometer “only” reaches a maximum of 18 degrees on some days, so he’s probably wrapped up in his duvet with a hot coffee tonight.
Our time in Paraty draws to a close, with one last visit to the Caborê Brewery and one last great meal down in town, indoors tonight in order to avoid the showers. It’s been absolutely splendid here, a jewel of a town tucked between the mountains and the sea, full of life and full of exciting places to see, in the heart of totally stunning natural beauty. Paraty is a gem. We could easily linger a little longer, but it’s time to load up the backpacks and set off to see some more of this fabulous country.
32 Comments
Monkey's Tale
We enjoyed Trinidade as well, and I remember that beach shack exactly as described. Lovely views from your hike,. It was worth the effort I think. We weren’t there for the highest tides, but did see how the streets are flooded, what a lovely, quirky town. 😊 Maggie
Phil & Michaela
It really is!
Toonsarah
Those views really are stunning, I can see absolutely why you found them worth the effort to get there! And I love all the rainy day reflection shots, those buildings look extra lovely reflected in the temporary ‘canals’ 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Yes it was a bit special seeing that – watching the tide rise up against those lovely buildings was quite unusual
Jyothi
Wow… what a great hike!! Stunning views!!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you – it certainly was!
Helen Devries
I was just wondering if the houses had floodboards ready for the rainy days.
Phil & Michaela
Well it all seems to work well, with raised pavings and high steps, and the incoming tides being channelled by the design of the streets. And it was a quirky sight to watch unfold.
Helen Devries
I would have loved to have seen that myself, but your description and photographs were certainly the next best thing.
Phil & Michaela
😌
Travels Through My Lens
It’s always such a feeling of accomplishment when you’ve reached the endpoint of a hike and are rewarded with amazing views. Your photos are truly spectacular; looks like paradise – oh yeah, it is!
Phil & Michaela
Was a tough climb but really really worth it. Paraty has been great, really enjoyed it.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Such gorgeous photos of the views. What a reward for a hot, sweaty climb up and then a cool dip after climbing back down. If you’re going to be stuck by weather, that looks like the place for it. Sometimes it’s great to just be in the place, isn’t it?
Phil & Michaela
It’s a lovely place, Lynette. Really enjoyed it and felt very settled there.
Andrew Petcher
Looks fabulous, I especially like the blue skies.
Miriam
Your pictures are beautiful and wow, your adventures in Paraty have been truly amazing. From one extreme of weather to another too with that rain. Love those reflections. Huge congrats on that tough trek and reaching the top with “limited fuel”. Looks like it was well worth the effort. Fabulous recount so thanks for taking me along. 😊
Phil & Michaela
You are very welcome, it’s been a good seven days!
WanderingCanadians
I’ve always enjoyed independent exploration without the group tours as well. It looks like Trindade lived up to its reputation of being a hidden gem. The beaches look beautiful. Love the views from your hike.
Phil & Michaela
We would have liked to have gone back but the weather bomb got in the way!
Annie Berger
What a trek you undertook – incredibly impressive. Wonderful photo of the two of you at the summit. That should be the ‘calendar shot.’ Captivated by the reflection shots when the water rolled into town.
Phil & Michaela
Watching the tide fill the streets so quickly was an odd – amusing, even – experience, Annie. A good addition for our last day there.
Alison
Another amazing post. I have to admire your endurance. Good job you went to Trindade when you did and not planned it till the last day. Love the photos of the old buildings and the reflections in the water.
On a side note I had a quick look at your Albanian post, very interesting. Didn’t realise you spoke Greek! Are you Greek?
Phil & Michaela
Ha ha no I’m 100% pure Derbyshire 😃. It’s Michaela that speaks a bit of Greek, from her days BP (before Philip) when she island hopped every year and was at one stage negotiating to buy a property in Crete. Thankfully she met me and I rescued her from that terrible fate 😂
Alison
So lucky 😀
Lookoom
The flooded streets make for beautiful, well-captured images. I saw the same feature in Colonia, Uruguay, where the high tides enter the town to clean the streets.
Phil & Michaela
It’s an odd thing to witness, isn’t it
leightontravels
Paraty… what a gorgeous place. Praia do Cachadaço looks every bit as pristine as you say, no wonder it captured your hearts so. As for the views from atop Pico do Pão de Açucar… I tell you, they are just as stunning as Jimmy Dunne’s 92nd minute winner for QPR against Birmingham yesterday 😉 It’s a pity the rain altered your last day plans but still, a very cool experience.
Phil & Michaela
Yeah it was good, lovely little place where we felt very settled. Jimmy Dunne didn’t do much for Michaela – she’s a bluenose! Meanwhile, with the Rams 6 points clear of 3rd, I’m almost daring to dream that we’re on the way back…
grandmisadventures
Wow the views of the water are incredible! I love that color of the water…although the water in the streets isnt nearly as striking. That must be hard to deal with to have the streets flood with the tides
Phil & Michaela
It’s fascinating to watch though!
wetanddustyroads
Those beaches seem like my type of place where I would love to go for a long-long stroll. That climb does indeed look steep, but wow … the views! Just a tip: Whenever I know a hike lies ahead (even an easy one), I always eat an egg ahead of time — cooked or scrambled. It energises me for a full day. Paraty – what a sweet spot!
Phil & Michaela
Yes Paraty is a lovely little town. We’re normally good at knowing what to eat when but we got it a bit wrong that day