Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide
Paraty yacht cruising guide. Paraty lies at the western end of Ilha Grande Bay and provides a sheltered cruising area with mangrove lined channels, enclosed anchorages and predictable movement in most conditions. The town sits at the head of a shallow inlet with deeper water outside, and the surrounding coastline offers multiple anchorages within short range. The region is protected by islands and headlands, which reduce swell and create stable conditions for arrivals and departures.
For yachts transiting the southeast Brazil coast, Paraty is a secondary operational base after Angra dos Reis. It provides provisioning, limited technical support and access to the Paraty Mirim and Saco do Mamanguá anchorages. The area is well suited for short range movements and offers reliable shelter during frontal systems. NOTE: Paraty’s historic centre is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its preserved colonial architecture and its cultural landscape linking the town, the bay and the Serra do Mar.
Brazil Coast
Sailing Guide Explainer
I lived, worked and sailed in Brazil for several years. These pages are extracted from an unpublished cruising guide I wrote several years ago and have since updated. As this guide started before electronic charting became mainstream, I have included a lot of the GPS waypoint data, Chart requirements and numbers and other navigational information that remains useful. Navigators should ensure they have up to date charts on board, and the accuracy of electronic charts is uncertain. It is a challenging coast to sail, but rewarding with great people, food, music and so on and while there are security challenges, with proper precautions will be manageable.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Approaches
Approaches to Paraty are made from the east through Ilha Grande Bay. Depths outside the approach channel remain 12 to 18 metres. Hazards include unlit fishing gear, local traffic and reduced visibility during frontal systems. The approach into Paraty shallows progressively, with 8 to 12 metres in the outer bay, 5 to 8 metres in the approach channel and 3 to 5 metres near the town anchorage. Tidal range is small, and currents are weak, with minor set in the narrowest parts of the channel. Sea state is generally calm due to shelter from surrounding landforms.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Navigation and Pilotage
Navigation requires attention to shoaling near the town and the mangrove lined channels leading toward Paraty. The main approach channel carries 5 to 8 metres until close to the anchorage. Pilotage requires visual confirmation of channel markers and avoidance of shallow areas near the mangroves, which can reduce to 2 to 3 metres. Night entry is possible in settled conditions but requires reduced speed due to unlit fishing boats and limited lighting on channel markers. Local traffic includes small craft operating at low speed. Visibility can drop during frontal rain bands and morning humidity.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Anchorage
Anchoring off Paraty town is possible in 5 to 8 metres over mud. Holding is generally reliable. The anchorage is sheltered from most directions, with minimal swell. Paraty Mirim offers 8 to 12 metres in the main basin and 5 to 8 metres in inner pockets. Saco do Mamanguá provides 8 to 12 metres in the outer section and 5 to 8 metres deeper inside. Weather exposure is low throughout the region, with protection from southerly fronts.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Entry Formalities
Paraty is not a clearance port. All formalities must be completed at Angra dos Reis with Immigration, Customs and the Port Captaincy. Firearms must be declared at the time of clearance. Starlink is permitted but must not interfere with regulated frequencies. No clearance facilities exist in Paraty.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Marina Facilities
Paraty has limited marina facilities. Marina do Engenho. Berths with 3 to 4 metres depth. Power, water and basic services. No haul out capability. Marina Refúgio. Berths with 3 to 4 metres depth. Power, water and limited technical support. Marina Porto Imperial. Berths with 3 to 4 metres depth. Power, water and basic facilities. For full technical support, haul out and chandlery, yachts must use the marinas at Angra dos Reis.
Porto Paraty Yacht Club. (23°13,5’S, 044°40,5’W) Porto Paraty Yacht Club is a private, small‑scale marina basin located on the northern side of Paraty’s waterfront, positioned inside a narrow dredged channel that provides access at all tides for shallow‑draft vessels. Depths vary with silting, but the entrance channel typically carries 2.0 to 2.5 metres, reducing to 1.8 to 2.2 metres inside the basin. The facility is oriented toward local boats and small cruisers, not deep‑draft yachts. Pilotage requires slow entry along the dredged channel, keeping mid‑channel to avoid shoaling on both sides. The channel is unlit, and night entry is not recommended. Refúgio da Caravelas (23°14’S, 044°42,4’W) is a private marina and residential complex located north of Paraty, positioned inside a protected basin accessed via a narrow dredged channel. Depths in the approach channel typically range from 2.0 to 2.5 metres, with 2.0 metres inside the basin depending on recent dredging. The facility is designed for small to mid‑size motorboats and shallow‑draft sailboats. Larger yachts or vessels with deeper draft may struggle with the approach channel, particularly during low tide.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Local Weather
Local weather is influenced by southerly frontal systems, sea breeze cycles and summer convection. Frontal passages bring southerly winds, rain and reduced visibility, with limited impact inside the protected bays. Sea breezes build from late morning and ease after sunset. Summer months bring convective squalls with rapid wind shifts and heavy rain. Morning humidity can produce haze that reduces visibility until mid morning.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Provisioning
Supermarkets. SuperPrix Paraty. Full range supermarket with fresh produce, bakery, dairy, meat and frozen goods. Pão de Açúcar Paraty. Imported goods, bakery, deli and packaged items. Bramil Paraty. General supermarket with reliable dry goods and frozen items.
Markets. Paraty Municipal Market. Fruit, vegetables, staples and local produce.
Fish Markets. Mercado de Peixe Paraty. Fresh local fish, fillets and shellfish. Harbourfront vendors. Small scale supply depending on daily catch.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Local Cuisine
Local cuisine is based on coastal fish, cassava, rice, beans and plantain. Moqueca capixaba is a fish stew prepared with annatto and herbs. Moqueca baiana uses dendê oil and coconut milk. Peixe grelhado is grilled fish served with rice, beans and salad. Bobó de camarão is a shrimp and cassava purée. Caldeirada is a mixed fish and shellfish broth. Farofa is toasted cassava flour served as a side. Acarajé is a black eyed bean fritter filled with shrimp. Vatapá is a thick paste of bread, shrimp, peanuts and coconut milk. These dishes reflect the regional availability of fish, shellfish, cassava and tropical produce.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Fuel Supplies
Fuel is available at the Paraty fuel dock with 3 to 4 metres alongside. Diesel and gasoline are dispensed from fixed pumps. Turnover is moderate.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Water Supplies
Potable water is available at marina berths in Paraty, dispensed from dockside taps with 3 to 4 metres alongside. Pressure and supply are stable.
Mechanical
and Electrical Repairs Resource
If you are headed somewhere remote consider the need to expand your knowledge base or have an information resource on board. Why not get a copy of my book The Marine and Electrical and Electronics Bible 4th Edition. By and for yachties, with everything from batteries and charging, solar and wind, diesel engines and marine electronics and so much more. Your complete systems guide. 650 pages of practical advice. Order a copy through Amazon. Marine systems are my profession so let me help you. By a liveaboard boat owner for other boat owners.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Marine Services
Marine services in Paraty are limited to basic mechanical and electrical work. No haul out capability exists. For full diesel, electrical, electronics and rigging services, yachts must use Marina Verolme, Marina Bracuhy or Marina do Frade in Angra dos Reis. Volvo Penta and Yanmar agents operate in the Angra region.
Health Alert
The local nasty is called the Borrachudo Bug, so protection necessary. The borrachudo is a small black fly (Simuliidae family) that breeds in clean, fast‑flowing freshwater, especially rainforest streams that empty directly into beaches and mangrove edges. It is not a mosquito. It flies silently, bites aggressively during daylight hours and is most active in humid, windless conditions. The bite produces a strong local reaction in most people, with swelling, heat and itching that can last several days. The insect is extremely common in Ilhabela, which is famous across Brazil for its borrachudo density due to the island’s steep rainforest slopes and hundreds of freshwater streams. The same pattern appears in Paraty, Saco do Céu, Saco do Mamanguá, Juatinga, and the Ilha Grande interior bays, where freshwater meets sheltered, wind‑protected anchorages.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Local Customs
Local behaviour is informal but respectful. Keep noise low at anchor, avoid landing on private jetties without permission and follow environmental rules regarding waste and protected areas. Avoid anchoring near active fishing gear.
Paraty Yacht Cruising
Guide - Summary
Paraty provides a sheltered anchorage network with 5 to 12 metres depths, reliable holding and consistent protection. Marina facilities are limited, and all major services are located at Angra dos Reis. The region is suited to short range cruising and offers stable conditions during frontal systems. Paraty Yacht Cruising Guide for all you need to know