The Best Paraty Map
for Hiking and Kayaking in Paraty
We love this map! Like most things we love in life it’s far from perfect, but it’s close.
So why do we love this map?
Well, it’s dominated by the Juatinga Peninsular – a car free tropical paradise full of beaches, waterfalls, rainforest, mangrove and half a dozen local fishing villages. All of these attractions are only accessible by sea or by walking trail so this is the perfect environment for Paraty Explorer with our love of hiking and kayaking. The road, with bus routes, goes as far as Paraty Mirim on one side of the peninsular and Vila Oratorio/ Laranjeiras and Trindade on the other.
The map shows most of the trails on the peninsular that have been classified according to level of difficulty (leve/ easy, moderada/ medium, pesada/ challenging) with their respective durations. The classifications tend to err on the side of caution so expect to complete the hikes in less time. However, even though the classifications and trail durations are not a 100% accurate they are a great starting point.
This Paraty map doesn’t show the kayaking water trails (we should probably just photoshop them in) but it does show many of the stops on our favourite kayaking routes: Paraty to Mamangua Tropical Fjord, Mamangua to Cajaiba, Cajaiba to Trindade.
So now you have the map, what are you going to do with it? Read on…
Paraty Map for Hiking on the southside of the Juatinga Peninsular
Depending on the time you have available we recommend exploring the southern side of the peninsular on foot, hiking from Vila Oratorio (Laranjeiras) to Ponta Negra and visiting Saco Bravo Waterfall. This is the basis of our 02 day Saco Bravo Waterfall hike. The routes to Sono and Antigos beaches are easy to follow so feel free to grab your daypack and hit the trail without a guide. There are taxi boats available from Sono and Ponta Negra villages that can take you back to the trailhead via the luxury Laranjeiras gated community for the super-rich.
Longer hikes
If you’re looking for more challenging hiking there is the 04 or 05 day peninsular Crossing (Vila Oratorio/ Laranjeiras to Mamangua, approx. 50 km). In effect you join up many of the shorter day hikes marked on the map to take you around the peninsular. Another option is to hike the highest point, the Jamanta Peak at 1100m with a hike that starts at sea level! (Pico da Jamanta in the centre of this Paraty Map but no trail marked). Hiking the Jamanta Peak takes about 4 hours to go up and 3 to come down and you’ll definitely need a local guide.
Kayaking on the northside of the Juatinga Peninsular
For the other side we recommend our 03 day Sea Kayak trip to Mamangua from Paraty. Unlike the southern surf beaches side these are protected waters, perfect for sea kayak multiday trips. We spend 02 nights in Mamangua in beachside cabins and visit the main points – the Mamangua Sugarloaf peak and the Mangrove (only accessible by canoe or kayak). Or if you’re not feeling so energetic there is always the private boat tour option.
Unbeatable Local Hospitality
On all sides of the Juatinga peninsular one thing remains constant: the warm hospitality of the local Caiçara people and the great seafood dishes of fresh fish, shrimp and squid. Accompanied of course by rice, beans and salad!
Things to do in Paraty
Still not sure what to do with your time in Paraty? There are over 50 islands and more than 100 beaches to explore in addition to the hiking trails, waterfalls and freshwater pools in the Atlantic Forest. Check out this blog post on The Best Things to do in Paraty and get planning!
Outside the major holidays you can probably get away without booking in advance but it’s always a good idea to book early to avoid disappointment. For tours there are only so many English-speaking guides in Paraty. And once you find that special boat for a day trip the chances are that other people are also looking at it!
