Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
off it. The square is dominated by Paranaguá's oldest church,
Igreja Nossa Senhora do
Rosário
, dating from 1578.
9
Igreja de São Benedito
Rua Conselheiro Sinimbu • Daily 7am-6pm • Free
On Rua Conselheiro Sinimbu is the charming little
Igreja de São
,
a church completed
in 1793 for the use of the town's slaves, and one that is unusual for not having been
renovated. Beyond the church in Praça Pires Padrinho lies the
Fonte Velha
or
Fontinha
,
a mid-seventeenth-century fountain, and Paranaguá's oldest monument.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
PARANAGUÁ
By train
The train station (
T
41 3422 8817) is three blocks
from the waterfront at Av Arthur de Abreu 124, with
services limited to the Serra Verde Express to and from
Curitiba and Morretes on Sun (see box, p.551).
By bus
The rodoviária (
T
41 3420 2925) is on the
waterfront (Rua João Estevão 40), a few hundred metres
beyond the Jesuit college.
Destinations
Buses depart for Curitiba hourly (1hr 30min;
R$20-22), and there are services to Antonina (1 daily; 1hr),
Guaraqueçaba (1 daily; 3hr), Morretes (every hour; 1hr)
and Joinville (2 daily; 3hr).
By boat
Paranaguá is a departure point for scheduled boat
services
to Ilha do Mel, Ilha de Superagüi and
Guaraqueçaba. Abaline (
T
41 3455 1129,
W
abaline.com
.br) services depart from the Estação Nautica (Rua General
Carneiro 258) to Ilha do Mel at 8.30am, 9.30am, 11am,
1pm, 3pm, 4.30pm & 6pm in summer, with 9.30am &
3.30pm crossings in winter (R$34 return); the boats stop at
Nova Brasília (1.5hr) then Encantadas (2hr). Additional
ferry services for Ilha do Mel leave from Pontal do Sul
(hourly 8am-8pm; R$29), 50km by road east of Paranaguá.
Abaline also offers boats for the three-hour crossing to Ilha
de Superagüi, nominally Mon-Sat at 2.30pm (R$30 for
minimum 40 passengers or R$1600 for the boat), and a
service to Guaraqueçaba (2hr 30min; daily 9am; R$1400 for
the boat or R$30/person for a minimum 40 passengers); for
both destinations it's essential to check current sailing
times in advance.
Tourist information
The Fumtur tourist o
ce is at Av
Arthur de Abreu 44, near the train station (Mon-Sat
8am-6pm, Sun 11am-2pm;
T
41 3420 2940,
W
fumtur
.com.br); it has useful maps of the city, and boat, bus and
train information. There's also a small kiosk at the bus
station (daily 9am-6pm;
T
41 3425 4542).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Essentially, Paranaguá is a place to pass through - it's worth getting details about leaving as soon as you get here, and only
later setting out to explore the city. If you find you have no alternative but to spend a night,
accommodation
is rarely a
problem, with several inexpensive and centrally located places to stay.
Casa do Barreado
Rua José Antônio da Cruz 78,
Ponta do Caju
T
41 3423 1830,
W
casadobarreado.com
.br.
As the name suggests, this friendly place specializes in
barreado
(R$25), but also offers an excellent buffet of
regional dishes at reasonable prices (R$30-50).
Sat, Sun &
holidays noon-3pm.
★
dorm beds and rooms, either with or without a bathroom,
that sleep two to four people. TV room and internet access
(free wi-fi). Pr
ices for HI
members are g
iven in brackets. Dorms
R$40 (R$35)
; doubles
R$105 (R$95)
Hotel San Rafael
Rua Júlia da Costa 185
T
41 3721
9000,
W
sanrafaelhotel.com.br.
The best of a fairly
mediocre bunch when it comes to comfort in Paranaguá,
with decent a/c rooms, free wi-fi an
d a pool
- some rooms
are newer than others, so check first.
R$312
★
Hostel Continente
Rua General Carneiro 300
T
41
3423 3224,
W
hostelcontinente.com.br.
Right next to the
ferry landing, this excellent-value hostel has impeccably clean
Ilha do Mel
Famed for its golden beaches and tranquil setting, the idyllic
ILHA DO MEL
(“Island of
Honey”) in the Bay of Paranaguá is a hit with backpackers and surfers looking to enjoy
the simpler things in life - and the island's waves.
With just over a thousand permanent
residents, visitors greatly outnumber locals during the peak summer months. The
island is little more than 12km from north to south, but given its rugged topography
most trails hug the coast. Bear in mind that there are no cars, no public transport, no
banks (or ATMs) and no pharmacies on the island, only basic shops and electricity for
just a short period each day - so come prepared.
