The best hotels in Paraty

Centro Histórico is a UNESCO-protected colonial grid of white-walled buildings, stone streets, and churches that have stood since the 18th century. Most of Paraty's best restaurants are on Rua do Comércio and Rua Marechal Deodoro, both inside the car-free zone. You don't need transport for anything if you're based here.

Six of our 10 vetted hotels sit in this neighborhood, ranging from $55/night at Pousada do Príncipe to $190/night at Hotel Solar dos Gerânios. That spread means every budget has a solid option here. The catch: book front-facing rooms only if you don't mind bar noise, and always ask about flood risk on ground-floor rooms near the waterfront streets.

The Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora dos Remédios anchors the main square, Praça da Matriz, which is 5 minutes walk from any hotel in the centro. Forte Defensor Perpétuo is a 10-minute uphill walk north. Praia do Jabaquara, the nearest proper beach, is 15 minutes on foot toward the Av. Beira-Mar.

Praia do Jabaquara is the closest proper beach to Centro Histórico, about 15 minutes walk along Av. Beira-Mar. The water is calm and shallow, protected by a natural sandbar, which makes it good for families and anyone who just wants to float without fighting waves. It's not a party beach: it's quiet most mornings.

Pousada Casa Turquesa sits right in this neighborhood and holds our top rating at 9.1. It's $150-210/night, which feels fair given you get a beach on one side and the old town 15 minutes away on the other. There's no other vetted option at this specific beach, so if Casa Turquesa is full, you're looking at Centro Histórico or somewhere further out.

The neighborhood itself has fewer restaurants than the centro, but Rua do Comércio is a short walk. For sunset, the view from Praia do Jabaquara toward the bay beats anything you'll see from inside the old town walls.

Trindade is not a suburb of Paraty. It's a separate village 30 km south on the RJ-165, accessed by local bus from the rodoviária on Rua Jango Pádua (R$7, 30 minutes). The beaches here, including Praia do Cachadaço and Praia Brava, are dramatically different from anything near the historic center. Rock formations, jungle backdrop, cold water.

Pousada Tankamana is our only vetted pick here at $165-230/night. It's 2 minutes walk from the main beach and works exceptionally well for families who want space and nature over cobblestones and cocktail bars. The trade-off is you're 30 km from the old town's restaurants and nightlife.

Trindade attracts a younger, more outdoors-focused crowd. Surfing, hiking the Atlantic Forest trails, and swimming at the natural pools near Praia do Cachadaço are the main draws. It gets very busy from Christmas to Carnival, so book 2 months ahead for January stays.

Laranjeiras is a green residential area on the road toward Cunha, sitting above the town with Atlantic Forest on three sides. It's not walkable to Centro Histórico. you need a car or taxi (R$25-35). but the payoff is genuine quiet, open air, and none of the cobblestone crowds. Pousada Marendaz is the anchor property here.

Pousada Marendaz holds a 9.2 rating, our highest, at $260-380/night. That price gets you something fundamentally different: a pool that feels private, serious Atlantic Forest views, and breakfast that isn't rushed by the next table's checkout. If you're comparing this to a $110 room in the centro, you're not comparing the same type of stay.

The area is quiet enough that you'll hear birds before you hear traffic. It's best for people who plan day trips into the old town and want a calm base to return to. Not the right choice if you want to walk to dinner every night.

Paraty Mirim is a small fishing village on its own quiet bay, about 25 km south of the historic center on the road to Trindade. You'll need a car or pre-arranged transfer to get here: there's no reliable public bus. But arrival by boat taxi from Paraty's dock on Av. Roberto Silveira is possible and worth doing at least once.

Paraty Mirim Pousada sits right on the waterfront here at $290-420/night. The rating (9.0) reflects the experience honestly: this is for couples or small groups who want total separation from the tourist circuit. The bay is calm enough for kayaking most mornings, and the village has a handful of simple local restaurants for dinner.

Don't stay here if you need the historic center on your doorstep. But if two nights of complete peace at one point in your trip sounds like exactly what you need, this is where to do it.