The main attraction of Paraty is its historic center with
beautifully preserved colonial architecture. Is also a possible day trip from Rio de Janeiro the distance is 240 km and it takes 4 hours to
reach Paraty with a car along the beautiful coast ofthe Costa Verde, where
along the road the mountains reached the sea, and there are hundreds of islands, including
Ilha Grande at the Restinga de Marambaia, and important touristic centers as Angra dos
Reis. If you can stay there for a few
days, the bay of Paraty offers you a
tropical forest, more than 60 islands, 300 beaches and unforgettable marine sceneries.
Paraty was an important center on colonial
period. During XVIII century its port was used to take the discovered gold on Minas Gerais
to Rio de Janeiro, and after the coffee produced at Vale do Paraíba. With the railroad
implantation between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, in the end of XIX century, the city
was being forgotten. There's nothing better in Paraty than walking on streets with about
30 quarters on the historical center with a lot of buildings from XIX and XVII centuries.
It still keeps the original pavement and vehicles are not allowed to enter.
You should visit the churches Santa Rita
from 1722, located in front of the sea and that houses the Museu de Arte Sacra (Sacred Art
Museum), and N.S. do Rosário and S. Benedito, from 1725, and the matriz N.S. dos
Remédios, from 1873.
In general, Brazilian colonial style big
houses and second floors are well preserved and houses inns, restaurants and craftwork
stores. There are also many plastic artists’ ateliers.
A street of Paraty.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Dores, Paraty.
This church was built in 1800 by the priest Antonio Xavier da Silva Braga.
Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora dos
Remédios, Paraty. In 1646 a lady called Maria Jácome de Melo donated the land for the
construction of the village, but she demanded two condition: first the building of a
chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and second that nobody would harm the
Indians that live there. The chapel was built, but in 1668 was demolished and a new one
was built, it was finished in 1712. In 1787 the population was 2700 people and the church
was too small, so a new church was started to build, its construction took nearly 90 years
(1787-1873), that's the actual church.
Igreja de Santa Rita, Paraty. This church
was built in 1722, it's the oldest church of Paraty. It was used by the white elite of the
town. Inside this church is the Museu de Arte Sacra de Paraty.
The hill where is situated the Forte
Difensor Perpétuo, Paraty. This fort was built in 1703. The fortification system of
Paraty was composed by other six fortifications: da
Ponta Grossa, da Ilha das Bexigas, de Iticopê, da Patitiba, da Ilha do Mantimento e da
Bateria do Quartel.
A street of Paraty.
An old building, Paraty.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário e São
Benedito, Paraty. The construction of this church was started in 1725, it was meant for
the black slaves, who helped building it.
