Paraty: Gold Trail Rainforest Hiking Tour

Spend a day hiking and learning about the very important role Paraty played in Brazil's history. Discover how the area was home to the most important gold export port in Brazil during the colonial period. Gold and diamonds used to come from Ouro Preto and Diamantina, cities with names thanks to the volume of diamonds and gold found there, both World Heritage listed sites by UNESCO.

Start the tour by meeting your guide at the meeting point. Take a short walk up to the bus station to catch a regular public bus from Paraty to the beginning of the trail. The trail runs for about 3.6 km and takes part of the Gold Trail, that used to link Paraty and Diamantina. It is through this ancient trail that you will learn about the history of Gold with the tour guide, returning to the time when the tropeiros (horse drivers), gold diggers, and slaves went up and down the mountain on donkeys. These riches led to the widening of Brazil's borders.

Because the trail is located inside Serra da Bocaina National Park, you will also find several landscapes and species of fauna and flora characteristic of the Atlantic Forest. At the end, take an optional visit to the Tobogã Waterfall and the Engenho do D'Ouro distillery near the Paraty-Cunha road in the community of Vila do Penha (not included). Finally, return by regular bus to the meeting point in Paraty.