View of the tropical fjord from the top ofPico do Pão de Açucar
Brazil,  Independent travel,  Outdoor Activities,  Photography,  South America,  Travel Blog,  Walking

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.

Trindade village near Paraty, Brazil
Trindade village

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. 

Main beach Trindade
Trindade beach near Paraty, Brazil
Second beach Trindade

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.

Trindade beach near Paraty, Brazil
And finally the paradise beach
Trindade beach near Paraty, Brazil
Praia do Cachadaço

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.

Trindade beach near Paraty, Brazil
Praia do Cachadaço
Trindade beach near Paraty, Brazil
Praia do Cachadaço

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.

View of Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
First sight of our climb
View of Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
Pico do Pão de Açucar

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.

View of the fjord from Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
View from the top

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.

View of the fjord from Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
View of the fjord
View of the fjord from Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
Fabulous views from the top

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.

View of the fjord from Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
We made it

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.

View of Pico do Pão de Açucar, Brazil
Looking back at our climb

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.

Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil
The tide is rising
Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil
Still coming in

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.

Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil

Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil

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.

Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil

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.

Paraty streets flooded by high tide, Brazil

32 Comments

We’d love to hear from you