Maris Paraty, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro -

Pousada Maris is situated right next door to Pousada Vivenda and was built by the same architects so boasts the same beautiful high ceilinged spacious whitewashed bungalows,  but this time decorated in owner Stela's impeccable style.

The pousada hosts a maximum of 4 people so things are as intimate or busy as you want them to be. Have breakfast in your suite, or on the veranda or with the guests in the other bungalow, whichever you prefer. Check out the local restaurants or fix a light meal for yourselves and chill out "at home" with one of the 300 DVDs on offer. Everything here has clearly been thought through with the individual guest's needs in mind. From the high thread white linen sheets to the coffee making facilities and small oven, the fabulous bathroom, the information on where to go and what to do, and not least the adaptor you will need for your foreign appliance to work with the new uniquely Brazilian 3 pin plugs!

I arrived in light rain, super stressed out to a wonderful welcome by Stela who showed me around and immediately booked me a massage at the fabulous Shambhala spa round the corner. After that we ambled round the corner to the Cafe do Canal which serves great pizzas and bruschetta, then back to the pousada for a few cool beers by the floodlit pool. As the stress receded I thought " time for visiting the historical centre tomorrow". Chilling out at Maris in good company was just fine for the foreseeable future.

The official history of Paraty dates back to 1667 when the portuguese colonizers took over land originally inhabited by Guarani indians and established the town which would become the chief trading port for the gold coming down from the adjoining state of Minas Gerais. The gold rush of the early 1700s brought with it the construction of the Caminho do Ouro (gold trail) a cobbled highway of some 1200 kilometres and many of the beautiful mansions in the historical centre of the town are testament to the incredible riches gained at this time.

With the decline in gold trading so the importance of Paraty declined until the early 1800s when coffee trading once again made it an important place to be. After that the town fell largely out of site until the construction of the beautiful Rio-Santos coastal road in the 1970s when the first pousadas restaurants and boutique type shops started to appear and tourism became the main source of revenue.

The historical centre of Paraty is now traffic free and with all cables now underground it is possible to appreciate the place as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries, with fabulous colonial mansions flanking the original cobbled streets. This is rightly a Brazilian national monument, and one which is definitely worth visiting .

• A tour round the museums, churces and streets of the historical centre
• Restaurants -Voilá (French chic), Cafe do Canal (local Brazilian) and Ditinho's (right on the sand under the Amendoeira trees)
• Schooner trip with Lucas or traineira boat trip with Marcinho
• A massage at Shambala spa
• Chilling out  by the pool at the pousada

• exclusive informal luxury
• lush tropical gardens with pool
• personalized attention from owner Stela

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Price Guide

Prices below are low season rates for two people in brazilian reais (R$). Standard double room, with en-suite shower room, breakfast included.

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