Parati Vacations, Parati Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Although it's officially spelled with an "i" on the end of the name, the natives of this colonial town prefer the indian form with an "y". So, as it must be, the city of Paraty is a beautiful and proud small community located on the south coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

Paraty was a busy and rich city during colonial and imperial times, with one of the main export ports of gold at that time. Tons of the gold mined in Minas Gerais were sent to the metropolis, Portugal, through the ports of Paraty. This particular fact made the city a favorite target amongst pirates everywhere - which only adds to the city's beautiful history, explaining why the old town is built from curved roads.

Paraty has no regular squared blocks like any other city. It's built pretty much like today's slums. The idea behind those tricky streets is that only locals could move with ease, making it almost impossible for them to be followed by a foreigner - in the slum's case, the police.

And now, a special guide through the streets of Paraty: some of the oldest buildings in the city carry a variety of obscure masonry symbols on its corner walls. There's a handful of legends about pirate treasures, and a secret path marked by those symbols. So if you ever get lost, just follow the masons and let Paraty lead you to one of its many treasures.