Brazil is one of the most popular destinations on many tourists’ bucket list, but still widely unknown for its sailing culture.
The Sugarloaf Mountain, Ipanema Beach, the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado Mountain and Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro are often the priorities to visit, but there are unique gems to be discovered by sailors.
One of them is the colonial city of Paraty, halfway between Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro in de Bay of Ilha Grande. Our fearless team at Med Sailing Adventures had, of course, to go check this out so that we could share this unique place with you.
Sail in pristine waters along the coast lined with tropical rainforest. Check out the white and golden beaches of the hundreds of small islands where quaint restaurants serve amazing food. Snorkel the reef of the Ilhas Botinas or go on shore to visit a centuries-old colonial church or the remnant of an old water mill that once powered a now abandoned distillery being reclaimed by the jungle.
We will be sailing modern and comfortable Brazilian-made Delta monohulls, Beneteau’s and Jeanneau’s as well as Lagoon catamarans and an amazing Brazilian Cat43 multihull. Airfare and transfers from Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro are extra, but we can coordinate the land transportation to Paraty and back. Provisioning, mooring, and refueling costs are extra but will be shared through a kitty on each boat – the estimated cost for this is about $250.00/PP.
It’s a beautiful place with intriguing history, culture, and, of course, mouth-watering cuisine – always a highlight when you travel with Whitecaps Sailing.
Capt. Jean and “Admiral” Mila have been leading sailing flotillas with the American Sailing Association since 2009, guiding sailors and non-sailors alike to captivating destinations across the Mediterranean and other exotic places like the Seychelles. They are renowned for their deep knowledge of sailing waters and their ability to uncover hidden gems that many tourists miss. Committed to safety and ensuring an unforgettable experience, they bring a blend of adventure and security to every voyage.
Jean, originally from Belgium, holds a USCG 100T Master License and teaches a range of sailing courses including 101, 103, 104, 114, 105, and 118 in both Florida and the Mediterranean.
Mila, from Peru, is the flotilla’s “Admiral,” skillfully managing every detail of the trip. As a US Coast Guard captain with a six-pack license, she combines leadership and precise organization to ensure a smooth and memorable experience.
Together, they operate Whitecaps Sailing, an American Sailing certified school based in Southwest Florida.
Let’s get together in Old Paraty to enjoy a delicious dinner with some nicest libations. You can’t really go wrong with a good, local Cachaça – it’s the national elixir of the Gods and the main ingredient for the famous Caipirinha and other amazing cocktails.
Transfer to the marina and berth assignments. Skippers meeting with check-out of the yachts. Admiral Mila will lead the provisions raiding party. Departure between 15:00 and 17:00 to the anchorage of Ilha da Cotia, where we will spend the night. Dinner on board after some swimming in the crystalline waters. All our boats are equipped with grills so we’ll raft up and have a potluck BBQ.
Breakfast on board. Hopefully, the local fishing guy will stop by in his dugout canoe to sell us some fresh fish or oysters.
After breakfast, we sail to Ilha do Cedro for a late lunch of freshly caught fish and shrimp, accompanied by a few Caipirinhas or local beers, at the al fresco beach Restaurante Coqueiro. It does not get any more authentic than this.
Later in the afternoon, we’ll be doing some more sailing among the small islands. Then we’ll anchor amidst the local fishing boats in front of the rustic fishing village of Tarituba, located in the bay of Saco de Tarituba. There is a small eatery on the shore called Quiosque Da Praia but you have also the option of having dinner on board. We spend the night at anchor.
Breakfast on board, after which we continue along the coast to the Marina of Porto Frade with swimming and beach stops along the way. There are no transient docks available there and we will anchor for the night. We can either dinghy in or have the water taxi of the marina shuttle us to shore for dinner at one of the resort’s restaurants. There are also a few stores available where we can do some provisioning.
We leave Porto Frade after breakfast and have a short trip to nearby Ilha de Paqueta. We drop the anchor there, swim and dinghy ashore and hike up the huge monolith rock from where we have a spectacular view of the surrounding islands. If the floating bar is open, we can have lunch and drinks in the beautiful bay.
After lunch, we head to nearby Ilha Da Gipoia for a visit to the historic small church and drinks at one of the beach bars, and some more swimming. Dinner on board or, if it is open, at Canto Das Canoas in Praia Vitorino. We will spend the night at anchor.
Let’s weigh anchor and head for the two small Ilhas Botinas rocks for some snorkeling that will work up an appetite. Plenty of colorful fish and the occasional sea turtle has made Ilhas Botinas a favorite tourist attraction. By mid-morning, the tour boats from nearby Angra Dos Reis arrive and the place becomes very busy. Time to go to our next destination, Tapera or Freguesia de Santana on Ilha Grande. Depending on the wind direction, we will choose one of them for our overnight anchoring. Dinner on shore.
Time to head back towards Paraty but we will pay a visit to the large fjord-like bay of Saco de Mamangua with its smaller version of the Sugar Loaf Mountain near Paraty Mirim, a smaller village that was used as a quarantine port in colonial times.
Depending on the weather, we can visit Paraty Mirim with its historic church and a few bars near the beach. Late lunch at Dadico’s restaurant in Saco de Mamangua, after which we will spend our last night in one of the nearby anchorages, like Saco de Velha, Praia Vermelha, Praia de Engenho or Praia Jurumirim. Dinner on board or on the beach if the restaurants are open.
Our last day and we must return to our base in Paraty. But let’s relax and explore the anchorages or do some light sailing before returning to the marina in the afternoon.
After checking back in, a nice warm shower awaits us at the marina followed by a last dinner in its excellent restaurant. We can spend the night on board, or you can opt to go back to one of the pousada hotels in old Paraty.
Those who chose to spend their last night on board must disembark by 8:30 am
*Itineraries are subject to change due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control.
We chose to book a Delta 36 on the 2024 Paraty Flotilla with Capt. Jean and Mila. Our boat was very clean and new, and a perfect choice for 2 people or a small group. The flotilla had great comradery between the boats, and we even learned how to raft with another boat for the first time! We highly recommend this flotilla as a very unique sailing experience in an area that is still relatively undiscovered by other American and European charter companies.
