The Best Hostels to Book in Paraty, Brazil

With its brightly painted cottages, chiming bell towers and narrow cobbled streets, Paraty will take your breath away | © Robert Wyatt / Alamy Stock Photo

Alex Robinson

16 December 2021

View

With its brightly painted cottages, chiming bell towers and narrow cobbled streets, Paraty, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, is Instagram gold. But it’s the setting that will take your breath away, with rainforest-covered mountains behind, beautiful golden beaches all around, tropical fjords, jungles rich with wildlife and myriad tiny tropical islands just offshore. There’s a great choice of places to stay, and for those on a budget, plenty of hostels – bookable on Culture Trip.

Chill Inn, for jazzy decor

Courtesy of Chill Inn / Booking.com

A hostel in Paraty that’s right on the beach? Welcome to Chill Inn. The historic village center is a stroll away, there are restaurants and bars right on the doorstep and the hotel can even organize boat tours. Rooms sleep up to four and have ensuite bathrooms. They are decorated with wood carvings or paintings of birds and have bright throws on the beds to cheer things up. The mixed and women-only dorms are simpler and rather boxy, with wooden bunks and lockers, but no privacy screens.

Pousada Casa do Rio Hostel, for bountiful breakfasts

Room at Pousada Casa do Rio Hostel with bunk beds

Courtesy of Pousada Casa do Rio Hostel / Booking.com

With a shared sun deck, a pocket-sized pool and balcony rooms overlooking the river and the forest beyond, Pousada Casa do Rio is a hostel with cool boutique-hotel touches. Rooms display a palette of lush rainforest colors with bright linens and local art. Shared lounges have distressed-wood furnishings and plenty of sofa space, and best of all, stays include a huge Brazilian buffet breakfast of cakes, breads, cold meats and cheeses with lashings of tropical fruit juice.

Geko Pousada, to be near to downtown Paraty

Courtesy of Geko Pousada / Booking.com

Breakfast served al fresco on the beach, a bar with cheap snacks and icy caipirinhas, loads of shared lounge space… There’s lots to like about this Paraty hostel. Mixed and single-sex dorms come in hospital white, with chunky bunks and lockers. Pay for an upgrade and you’ll get to stay in a double with more furnishings and a fridge. Staff can organize all manner of tours and trips for you. If you fancy doing something under your own steam, see the historic downtown, less than five minutes’ walk away.

Sereia do Mar, for live-music action

Courtesy of Sereia do Mar / Booking.com

You can’t miss the Sereia do Mar: it’s set right on Jabaquara beach, with a big statue of a mermaid out front and a rope-slung deck overlooking the water. Staying here, you’ll enjoy more comforts than most hostels in Paraty deliver. The rooms and mixed dorms are lined with dark tropical woods and feel rather like ship cabins. Larger suites have private balconies and sea views. The bar-restaurant hosts live bands most evenings and is a great place to meet fellow backpackers over beer and pizza.

Casa Hostel Paraty, for comfy simplicity

Terrace at Casa Hostel Paraty with hammocks

Courtesy of Casa Hostel Paraty / Hotels.com

The beds at this unfussy Paraty hostel are compact but comfortable. Prices are low, and you’ll get privacy curtains, use of a shared kitchen and a decent buffet breakfast. There are heaps of restaurants and bars right on the doorstep, and Pontal Beach and the historic town center are both less than five minutes’ walk away. Staff can organize boat trips to the offshore islands and tours into the forest, if you grow tired of bronzing by the sea.

Paraty Hostel, for communal fun

The historic center and the beach are little more than a 10-minute walk from this hostel. The bus station is just round the corner, and the hotel can arrange airport transfers from Rio. Rooms and mixed dorms, with shared bathrooms, are simple cubes with wooden beds and a sparse scattering of furniture. There’s plenty of communal lounge space, including a large hammock-slung sun deck and a small garden. Best of all, the prices, which include a generous buffet breakfast, are low.

Hostel Dama das Águas, for wildlife

Courtesy of Hostel Dama das Águas / Booking.com

With spacious suite rooms and dorms in crisp whites, a pool table in the al fresco lounge area, a yard out back and a great breakfast included in the price, Hostel Dama das Águas is anything but short on added extras, and the prices are reasonable, too. There are marmosets in the trees and papayas growing wild in the jungle surroundings. It’s a bit of a trek from here to the historic center and the beaches, so you’ll be glad of the free loaner mountain bike, and staff also offer a great range of tours.

Give us feedback