Sun and good times in Paraty

The mere mention of Paraty sends people rushing for every superlative they can think of. It was, it seems a place you can't miss on this stretch of coast. A picturesque seaside village of whitewashed stone buildings and colourful fishing boats with cobbled streets so uneven as to make walking a challenge before the caipirinhas. Although aware of heading into winter we'd been caught out by how cold and wet Curitiba and Sao Paulo had been with un-seasonal wet weather putting a literal dampener on Bonito and The Pantanal so were ready for some sun.

The drive through the Costa Verde was a bit of a thrill seeker special.  Really? That speed, on that corner? The lush rain forest which cascades down from the high passes right to the waters edge is spectacular and as we travelled through, was hugged low lying fog and ominous cloud.  The white sand beaches below with paddle borders and surfers in the sea were calling out and we hoped the weather would break.

Most places are better in the sun and we'll allow the less than warm welcome we received at Backpacker House to be down to this. The pool from the pictures turned out to be a building site that threatens to become a pool one day and the bathroom was so small you could barely turn around in it, for the price you pay, accommodation in Brazil so far was more expensive and much worse quality than other countries, not a great start. Only a friendly word from some of the other guests cheered us up.  A stroll around the town in the rain left us wondering how far north we'd have to go to get some warmth, but with an equally strong feeling this would be a stunning spot in the sun.

The Iconic Paraty shot.

The next morning things were looking up! The sun was threatening a breakthrough and the rumoured breakfast proved to be every bit as good as we'd heard.  Sausage, eggs, the most amazing fruit selection, areal fill your boots feast. This was made even better by the chatter around the table. Lexi and Tosha from the USA and Philipp and Christiane and Martin were all on great form and a plan was hatched for an afternoon boat trip for a tour round the local beaches and islands.

A boat was hired, alcohol was sourced, ( Note, kids : Swim before you drink!) the sun came out and the scene was beautifully set. We set off for sea in good spirits and soon a beer was cracked open as we soaked up the long overdue warmth.  Pulling into the first bay we dived in for a swim / snorkel, the water was warm and inviting despite low visibility.  Climbing back aboard we scoured the bay, a known turtle spot and sure enough soon a turtle popped up to the surface for air. The first one I have seen in the wild.  I went back in for another snorkel and caught a brief glimpse of one though lost it quickly due to the low visibility.

 There is a turtle around here somewhere

The next bay was a calm secluded bay with possibly even warmer and certainly clearer water with fish circling the boat. It provided a perfect opportunity for the guys to show off their manliness playing with rope swings and jumping off cliffs, though, not being a fan of heights or underwater rocks there was a bit of a delay while I steadied myself for the jump.

A perfect afternoon was rounded off with the local Moqueca de Peixe (fish stew) on a small island beach. There is something unbeatable about eating seafood with the sand between your toes watching the sun go down.

The only thing to make the day more perfect was to take the helm of the boat on the way home.

The other passengers took special notice of the overhead lifejackets

The next day we checked out the options for a trip to the next small town Trinidade. A tour at $60R or the local bus for $7R which wasn't much of a decision. Local bus wins!  The trip was an easy 40 minute ride which drops you right near the beach so I'm unsure of the need for a guide. It is another stunning location but I would recommend keeping an eye on the waves. I am a decent swimmer but got picked up dumped on one shoulder flipped and dumped on the other shoulder which left me in significant discomfort for over a week, some beaches here say no swimming and I would take the advice.

We topped off the day with pizza (her), pasta (him) and caipirinhas (who do you think?) at Viva La Pizza, quite possibly the best pizza and pasta outside Italy.

While still patchy the weather was fine enough to explore and enjoy the town some more with the stunningly painted boats and beautiful whitewashed buildings it is the perfect seaside town, take care on those cobbles after a couple of caipirinhas at Viva La Pizza though!

Whitewashed buildings, cobbled streets and England bunting.

We had a great few days with great company and hoped to catch with some of the guys we'd met later on.