The historic coastal town of Paraty is tucked away between Brazil’s two busiest cities, Rio and São Paulo, making it the perfect detour destination to slow down and enjoy the colourful coast.

An empty hammock is always an invitation, and this one was more enticing than most. Slung low across the beach house decking, it was designed in the Brazilian style: a king-sized swathe of cream cotton fringed with decorative crochet. It swung idly in the Atlantic breeze, proffering a view of fishing boats, wheeling frigate birds and the turquoise waters of the Baia de Paraty, a glint in the afternoon sun.

With a sigh, I settled in. “A man in a hurry will be miserable in Brazil,” wrote Peter Fleming in his 1933 classic Brazilian Adventure. “I learnt the necessity of resignation.” Nearly a century later, this continent-sized country is still teaching impatient gringos valuable lessons about slowing down – and nowhere more so than Paraty.  Read the full article here

Source wanderlust