The gold route: Cunha, Ilha Grande
Near Paraty, there are remains of what was the most travelled route in Brazil for over two centuries. Most of the slaves used in the gold mines of Ouro Preto and São João del Rey walked these trails, so did the tradesmen in sugar cane brandy and coffee. The trip took forty-five days, on foot or by mule. The route is still imbued with a special atmosphere.
One hour away from Paraty, a beautiful unpaved (impracticable at some seasons) road leads to Cunha, one of the landmarks on this trip. It is lost it the middle of nowhere, the other side of the gorgeous National Park of the Mantiqueria. That is where we go and fetch some rare ingredients for our cuisine: mushrooms, cheeses, etc. Between Ubatuba and Taubaté, the coffee road gave birth to the town of São Luis de Piraitinga. This is a small mountain town, at an altitude of around 1000m; the climate and the mentality are different from those on the coast; people go about on horseback, no one locks their door, it is one big community, reminiscent of times gone by.
Off the coast between Rio and Picinguaba, facing Angra dos Reis, is Ilha Grande, which held one of the most terrible prisons of the country for a long time. It was discovered by tourism ten years ago. The landscapes are superb, rather similar to those of Paraty and Picinguaba, but less intact because of the greater closeness to Rio, which also means crowds in the summer time.
We offer two ways of enjoying Ilha Grande: a one day outing by powerboat from Paraty (trip 1h ½) or a 2 day cruise on a sailing boat, which you board just outside Rio; you follow the coast, pill in at Ihla Grande and finish in Paraty, spending two nights on board.