RIO
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Windsor California Copacabana which was really nice and across the street from Copacabana Beach. The breakfast buffet was outstanding so be sure to get breakfast included. I booked with Hotels.com
TO VISIT:
- train ride from Cosme Velho up Mount Corcovado to Christ the Redeemer statue: book tix online ahead of time or book tour. your. Open 8:30am-7pm and train leaves every 30mins. Sit on right side of train as it goes up mountain.
- cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain: book ahead of time. Can book “skip the line ticket” for more or join a guided tour
- Copacabana Beach
- Museu do Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow)
- Museum of Modern Art (cool building)
- Feira Livre da Gloria (Sunday market to sample a variety of food)
- Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura (Royal Portugese Reading Room): 3-level 1880’s library in city centre
- Pedra do Sal: “Little Africa” (colourful street art)
- Largo do Boticario: colourful neocolonial houses in Cosme Velho area
- largest mural in the world by Eduardo Kobra on Oympic Boulevard
- wander streets in Santa Teresa: prettiest neighbourhood in Rio (Escadaria Selaron: staircase art project, The Convent, only working streetcar in city called Bonde de Santa Teresa)
- Metropolitan Cathedral: Sunday Mass @ 10am (cool building)
TOURS:
- Full-Day Custom Private Tour of Rio w/ Luis Darin. Can book directly with him by contacting him through WhatsApp at +55 21 99168-8150. Very knowledgeable and accommodating. He took me to watch sunrise over Sugarloaf Mtn with a view of Christ the Redeemer. Make sure to visit the market and sample all the amazing fruit and tasty treats!
- Rio Helicopters for sunset flight of Sugarloaf Mtn and Christ the Redeemer. https://www.riohelicopters.com. Very helpful at sorting out my flight and you pay on arrival. The only company that I found that would fly for sunset. Easy and cheap to take Uber to the hangar. My flight was 30mins long and private (you can join others for less expensive).
EATS:
- Carretao Ipanema: all-you-can-eat bbq
- Aprazivel: Santa Teresa area with beautiful view while dining in thatched huts
- Barraca da Chiquita: Copacabana area that has fabulous ambiance and food!
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ILHA GRANDE
*Of note: you can visit Ilha Grande and Paraty in either order. I spent 2 nights in Ilha Grande (would’ve preferred 3), and 3 nights in Paraty (would’ve preferred 2 nights). Ilha Grande is an island and Paraty is a beach town on the mainland.
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed at Pousada Bela Vista which was simple, but nice with a view of the water from my private patio. You could opt to have your included breakfast on your private patio or on the communal one. It was 100m from the beach and a 10min walk from the village, so a bit quieter which I preferred.
GETTING THERE:
I booked a transfer with pick-up at my hotel, transport to the boat and boat ticket included with Paraty Tours. Great communication and very easy. Takes about 4-5 hours to get to the island.
WHILE THERE:
You have the option of schooner/boat trips, snorkelling, diving or just hanging out on the numerous beaches.
There are company reps for boat trips swarming the beach but two that were highly recommended to me were:
- Jeronimo Tours (reach out to him on Instagram @jeronimotours). Great lunch on board and unique experience
- Adventure Boat
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PARATY
ACCOMMODATION:
I stayed outside of the historic centre at Eliconial Paraty Pousada & Spa which was fantastic. At first I was a little concerned how far out we seemed to be from everything, but once I entered through the gate, I knew I’d made the right choice. The extensive garden, pool and 6 bungalows make for a unique stay. Ricardo and Ivan are delightful and eager to assist with any requests you have. It took me approx 25 mins to walk into town at a leisurely pace.
GETTING THERE:
I booked a transfer with Paraty Tours that included my boat ticket from Ilha Grande and then van transfer from the Angros dos Reis pier with drop-off at my hotel.
WHILE THERE:
- explore the cobblestone streets and shops in the historic centre
- book a schooner trip with Paraty Tours. Try to book the smaller schooner, Netuno II. Be sure to arrive at the pier and board an hour ahead of time as lounges on the top deck are few. They serve several lunch options for an extra cost. It isn’t allowed to bring your own food. Great service and really friendly staff (only one spoke a bit of English so you may need to use Google Translate). They stop off at several islands and you can either swim ashore or they’ll take you in a zodiac. Had a really fabulous day.
- Paraty Tours is the most popular company and runs numerous types of tours. Their office is on the historic centre. Be sure to book a day ahead to ensure your spot.
EATS:
- Oui in historic centre. Fabulous food with seating in a cobblestone lane. The fish dinner is delicious!
- Captain Fork Frutos do Mar outside of historic centre in Jabaquara area. Unique restaurant with 6 tables and amazing seafood. Highly recommended.
- La Luna on Jabaquara Beach is best place for a beachside beer
GETTING TO GRU (São Paulo airport) from Paraty:
- I flew out of São Paulo as there weren’t any flights from Rio. It’s about 4.5 hours from Paraty.
- Paraty Tours has transfers but seem to only allow two or more people to book online so go into their office. I waited to late and couldn’t get a transfer that worked for the time of my flight.
- Uber doesn’t really run in Paraty and wasn’t an option for the airport
- Another option is the bus. Bus from Paraty to San Jose dos Campos w/ Reunidas company. And then bus to airport w/ Passaro Marron company and they drop you at the airport terminal. It’s a long journey at almost 9 hours with the wait time between buses, but cheap at approx R $130.
- My hosts contacted a driver they knew who drove me to the airport privately. It was $150US for the trip but worth it for me to save 5 extra hours of travel time.
- The better option is to stay in São Paulo and extra couple of days to spread out your traveling times when returning home
