Main SitesAngra dos Reis to Paraty, Brazil: Costa Verde Self-Guided Driving Tour
Get ready for one of the most beautiful drives in Brazil: the Costa Verde, the Green Coast, where the rainforest tumbles straight into the sea. Over the next 60 miles, about 97 kilometers, we'll ride the legendary Rio-Santos highway from downtown Angra dos Reis to the colonial gold port of Paraty. And what a ride it is. You'll meet a feared cannibal chief and the German prisoner who almost became his dinner. You'll hear how a brutal prison island turned into a paradise, why a slave ship was set on fire, and how Brazil's only nuclear plant earned the nickname "the firefly." Then we'll follow the old Gold Road, which once carried the treasure of the mountains down to the sea. Keep your eyes open. The ocean plays hide-and-seek here, flashing between forested hills and quiet fishing villages. Between the stories, you'll pick up some Portuguese, a little bossa nova and a famous local recipe. Short spoken cues will guide you just before each turn, so you can relax and enjoy the road. We'll finish beside the river at Pontal, steps from Paraty's historic center. So buckle up, drive safely, and let the Green Coast tell its stories.