Summer in Brazil: Paradise in Paraty 

I’ve officially been living in Brazil for three weeks, and I’m amazed to be halfway through this program. This weekend, we took a getaway trip to Paraty, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and it was the perfect way to celebrate the halfway mark.  

We boarded the bus to start the weekend at 4 pm on Thursday, June 26. The bus ride to Paraty was 6 hours, but once we arrived, we saw where we were staying for the weekend, and everyone was filled with joy. CET booked a villa-style hotel, where we all had rooms with roommates. The villa included hammocks in each room, a pool, a hot tub, and breakfast. The first night, everyone arrived exhausted, so we all went to bed and rested for the days to come.  

The first day in Paraty was packed with activities. After an early breakfast, we all left the villa at 9 am and were taken to the dock, where we boarded a boat to a Caiçara island. Caiçaras are a traditional community of Brazil whose roots are a mix of Portuguese, indigenous, and African descendants. They are a community of fishers, and we got to meet some and engage in an open conversation where they taught us about what it’s like to grow up in the community. Following an interesting discussion, we were taken on a beautiful trail around their island that ended in a gorgeous beach. We headed back from our time at the beach, and they gave us a delicious lunch that included fish they had personally caught. The group traveled to Paraty for a tour of the old city center subsequent to lunch. That day concluded with a great dinner with friends and a vibrant nightlife filled with so much samba dancing.  

On the second day in Paraty, we slept in a little and left the villa at 10 am, where we were picked up in jeeps to explore the forest and see some of the natural beauty that Paraty has to offer. After a beautiful short trail, we were taken to a place where flour is produced and got to learn about the process, as well as try some different types of flour. Following this, we were taken to a cachaça distillery and had the opportunity to learn about the process of making cachaça. Cachaça is a Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice, and Paraty is one of the most renowned regions for its production. This also included a cachaça tasting, where I got to decide which bottles to bring back as gifts for my family. That afternoon, I spent time walking around the cobblestone roads of the city center and shopping for souvenirs.  

Our last day in Paraty was completely free so obviously my friends and I spent it at the beach. I spent the day tanning and eating açaí, which was a fantastic break from all the activities we had been participating in. We are now on the bus ride back to São Paulo and are all sad about leaving this paradise. Although I will miss Paraty, I am also excited about my next three weeks in Brazil and plan to make the most of the time I have left in this beautiful country. 

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Summer in Brazil is a 6-week summer program sponsored by the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University and the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. It caters to graduate and undergraduate students who wish to achieve a high-level of Portuguese fluency through immersion in Brazilian culture.        

You can learn more about our Summer in Latin America programs here.  

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