Paraty Travel Guide

Introduction

The main attraction of Paraty is its historic core, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautifully preserved colonial architecture. In contrast to the ornate baroque opulence of Ouro Prêto, Paraty was a port, a working-class kind of town. The architecture is simple and colonial. Even the churches and municipal buildings seemed to have been built more for daily use than as a statement of wealth.

Paraty first grew in importance in the 1800s when it became the main shipping port for the gold from the mines of Minas Gerais. The gold was transported down windy trails and cobblestone roads from Ouro Prêto to the coast, where it was loaded on ships sailing for Portugal. Once gold became scarce, Paraty switched to coffee, but with the abolishment of slavery in 1888, that too dried up and Paraty faded to near oblivion; the population fell from 16,000 in its glory days to 600 in the early 1900s. From a heritage perspective it was the city's saving grace.

In 1966 the historic colonial...