One of the most enchanting of all the old Portuguese colonial towns in Brazil, Paraty has been dubbed "a virtual museum in a tropical paradise" because of its blend of natural and architectural beauty.
Its grid of rough, cobblestone streets is lined with stark, white stone buildings decorated with brightly hued doors and window shutters. It's sandwiched between a backdrop of misty rainforest-encrusted mountains and sparkling seas graced with little yachts and schooners named after Pele and other famous Brazilian footballers.
You can hop on one of these boats, which will take you for a tour around the beautiful little islands nearby, but I prefer exploring the gorgeous town itself.
A small Indian settlement until the late 17th century, Paraty quickly grew in importance after the Bandeirantes, the Portuguese version of the Spanish conquistadors, stumbled across enormous gold deposits in the mountains of inland Brazil.
They needed somewhere from which to launch the booty back to Lisbon and Paraty, with its wide, curving harbour, fitted the bill.
It wasn't long before the rich began to construct lavish buildings and churches here and, four centuries on, Paraty still evokes something of a bygone feel - despite its smattering of souvenir shops, art galleries and cosmopolitan eateries.
If you visit, don't wear high heels and do think twice about hiring a bicycle to get around town. The rough and ready cobbled streets are challenging, to say the least.
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