Getting Here · Costa Verde
Getting to Paraty
Paraty sits halfway between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo on the Costa Verde. There is no commercial airport in town, so almost everyone arrives by road — here is how to make that easy.
Paraty sits halfway between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo on the Costa Verde. There is no commercial airport in town, so almost everyone arrives by road — here is how to make that easy.
Fly into Rio (GIG) or São Paulo (GRU), then travel the last stretch by car, bus, or private transfer. From Rio it is about 4 to 4.5 hours; from São Paulo about 4.5 to 5.5. Whichever way you come, the final approach along the Rio–Santos coast is one of the great drives in Brazil.
Paraty is a colonial town on the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro state, on a stretch known as the Costa Verde — the "green coast" where the Atlantic forest of the Serra do Mar drops straight into a bay scattered with islands. It is roughly 250 km southwest of Rio de Janeiro and 300 km northeast of São Paulo, which makes it an easy long-weekend escape from either city and a natural stop on a Rio–São Paulo coastal road trip.
There are no commercial flights into Paraty itself (the small airfield handles private charters only), so the journey always finishes on the ground. The good news: the road in is gorgeous, and once you arrive, everything — the historic center, the piers, our chalets — is within a few minutes of each other.
1. Drive yourself. The most flexible option, and our recommendation if you plan to explore the beaches and waterfalls outside town. You get a car for day-trips to Trindade, Sete Quedas, and the Caminho do Ouro, and you set your own pace on the coast road.
2. Private transfer. Door-to-door, air-conditioned, no navigation or tolls to worry about — the most comfortable way to come, especially after a long international flight. Bianca can arrange one from either airport or from downtown Rio or São Paulo.
3. Bus. Inexpensive and frequent from Rio (the Costa Verde line runs many times a day). Comfortable, air-conditioned coaches drop you at Paraty's small bus station, a short taxi ride from the chalet.
4. Fly + connect. Fly into Rio or São Paulo, then pick one of the three options above for the last leg. There is no faster flight-only route — anyone who tells you otherwise is selling a charter.
If you are a couple or family who wants to roam — beaches one day, waterfalls the next — rent a car. If you are arriving tired off a long-haul flight or simply don't want to drive Brazilian coastal roads, book a private transfer and let someone else handle the Serra do Mar. If you are watching the budget and staying mostly in and around town, the bus from Rio is comfortable and cheap.
Whichever you pick, tell Bianca your arrival time in advance. She'll have the chalet ready, point your driver to the right turn-off (GPS sometimes gets the last hill wrong), and can have a taxi waiting if you come by bus.
250 km of coast road via the BR-101 — the classic approach.
Down the Tamoios and up the coast through Ubatuba.
GIG and SDU transfers, buses, and rental options.
From GRU or Congonhas to the Costa Verde.
The Costa Verde line — cheap, frequent, comfortable.
Door-to-door comfort, arranged by your host.
Pick your chalet and check live dates on Airbnb, or message Bianca first — she'll help you plan transfers, tours, and the little details.