Rio de Janeiro & Costa Verde Trek & Kayak Tour

11 Days/10 Nights

This Kayak Tour of Rio de Janeiro & the Costa Verde (with plenty of hiking too!) takes you first to Rio, to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer, kayak in the shadow of Sugar Loaf Mountain before either taking the cable car or climbing to the top, as well as the city and its vibrant beach and nightlife culture.

After the big city, comes the scenic escape. You then travel down the Costa Verde, Brazil's most spectacular coastal route, to the charming colonial port of Paraty. This tiny town nestles at the bottom of the Serra do Mar mountain range, with Atlantic Rainforest, waterfalls and jungle trails. Paraty is sits on the Bay of Angra dos Reis, which is possibly the best kayaking area of Brazil's 8,000km coastline. Yes... that good! The combined hike and kayak safari takes you completely off the beaten track, crossing the Laranjeiras Peninsula, a rugged, remote region of Atlantic Rainforest, paradise beaches and isolated fishing communities. The days are spent hiking between tropical beaches, overnighting in the villages in simple local accommodation, climbing mountain peaks with stunning Costa Verde views, then kayaking back to Paraty from Saco da Mamangua, Brazil's only tropical fjord.

A support boat can be provided to transport luggage between overnight stops, simple seafood meals are included along the way. English speaking guide with NOLS Wilderness First Aid training and American Canoe Association training in advanced skills and rescue. Sea Kayaks with drop-down rudders are used, made to international standards by Opium Caiaque in Brazil, the premier sea-kayak manufacturer in the country. You will be in good hands.

Best Time to Visit: Departures for this particular hike and kayak trip are throughout the year, with the cooler months of March to September being recommended, with July being busiest in terms of tourist numbers. December to February are the Hot! months and also have more rainfall. Group departures can be organised too, with Sunday being the first day of the hike from Paraty. Private departures can be organised on any date, and routes and paddling hours are adjusted to suit abilities and experience. We can also adjust the tour for shorter and longer periods as necessary, with an extension to Ilha Grande also a possibility.

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from $ 2,775 USD

11 Days/10 Nights

Destinations Visited

Rio de Janeiro
Paraty
Costa Verde

Trip Style

Adventure

Activities Included

Hiking & Trekking
Climbing
Kayaking & Canoeing
Ecotourism

Tailor Made Tours

All our Brazil and South America Tours, are completely flexible with regards to dates, duration or the tours, activities and accommodation that we can include. All the tours featured on our website are our recommendations based on our experience of how to make the very best of your time in South America. We can adjust these details in any way that you wish. We are here to organise a tour that suits you after all!

Itinerary

Day 1

Rio from Above!

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

On arrival in Rio de Janeiro , our guide welcomes you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. Your first spectacular activity in Rio or any other city is to hang-glide from Pedra Bonita Mountain to land on the beach. Your tandem flight is in the safe hands of professional instructors, who give you a safety briefing including take-off and landing. No prior experience is necessary, just a little courage! The 15min flight soars between the mountains, over the urban forest and circles out over the Atlantic waves before finally landing on the sands of Praia Pepino. You return to your hotel afterwards with the rest of your first day free.

Day 2

Ocean Kayaking & Climbing Sugar Loaf

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

Morning brings the journey to Praia Vermelha, the beach which is home to the cable car station. Ignoring the easy way, you circle Sugar Loaf Mountain on a 2hr coastal trail. The final section is the short climb of 25m/80ft up the granite, and can be done by beginners of reasonable fitness. Enjoying the sunset views having just climbed Sugar Loaf is the most satisfying way to visit one of Rio\\\\\\\'s postcard places. After returning by cable car you transfer to your hotel with the rest of the day free. Evening may bring a trip to Lapa, to experience the live music in Rio\\\\\\\'s best clubs, best from Thursday to Saturday but possible other nights.

Day 3

Tijuca Peak Hike & Christ the Redeemer

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

After breakfast, you head to the cool air of the Floresta de Tijuca, the largest urban forest in the world covering the granite mountains around which Rio is built. A forest trail takes you to the highest point in the park, the 1,022m Tijuca Peak. The 360˚ city views are matched by those from Corcovado, where the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks Rio, Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and the beaches ringing the city. After returning for lunch, you can enjoy the afternoon on Copacabana or Ipanema Beach. The evening can include a trip to Lapa, to experience the live music in Rio\\\\\\\'s best samba clubs.

Day 4

Down The Costa Verde to Paraty

Destination: Rio de Janeiro to Paraty

In the morning, you journey down the Costa Verde, Brazil\\\\\\\'s Emerald Coast, and possibly its most spectacular coastal route. After leaving Rio behind, the 3-4hr drive takes you on the coast-hugging road, with jungle-covered mountains towering up to your right, and tropical islands dotting the sparkling blue Bay of Angra dos Reis to your left. After checking in to your Paraty hotel, you can spend a little time exploring the historic centre of the old port town before you take to the waters of the bay on a SUP (Stand Up Paddle) board. The shallow waters and offshore islands make it the perfect place to start.

Day 5

Striding Out in Laranjeiras

Destination: Paraty to Ponta Negra

Your Costa Verde Expedition begins with the short road journey from Paraty up and over the Laranjeiras Peninsula to the trailhead. The first day takes you on an open trail through Atlantic Rainforest over the headland from the village of Laranjeiras. Praia do Sono is the first stretch of Costa Verde paradise that you traverse, followed by Antigos and Antiguinhos with the chance to swim in crystal clear waters and explore amongst the rocks on the beaches. Lunch and dinner are simple meals cooked by families of the local fishing communities, including the final stop at Ponta Negra. Easy/Moderate Day with 3hrs of hiking.

Day 6

Ponta Negra Waterfall Hike

Destination: Ponta Negra

The village of Ponta Negra is the base for your day. After waking up early to the sounds of the sea and the village, you have all the time you need for a swim and a walk before breakfast. The day begins with the hike up through the jungle trails to Saco Bravo, a waterfall that descends down the rocks to form its own natural infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The pool provides the perfect cooling off place after a hike of 3 hours or so. You return by the same path to Ponta Negra, where a swim in the cove should refresh you after a hot day\\\\\\\'s hiking. Dinner is again in the village too. Moderate Day with 4-5 hrs of hiking.

Day 7

The Wild Side of the Costa Verde

Destination: Ponta Negra to Pouso da Cajaiba

After leaving Ponta Negra in the morning, the day is spent hiking the wild side of the Laranjeiras Peninsula. The Atlantic Rainforest drops directly into the sea for much of this journey as the path hugs the coastline looking out onto the open ocean until Praia Martim de Sa. This is perhaps the most remote point of the Juatinga Peninsula, a tiny stretch of sand that many people feel is the best beach of the Costa Verde and perhaps anywhere! The hike continues over the headland to Pouso da Cajaiba, a tiny fishing village where you can relax looking out over the Bay of Angra dos Reis. Moderate/Challenging Day with 6-7 hrs of hiking.

Day 8

Juatinga Nature Reserve

Destination: Pouso da Cajaiba to Saco do Mamangua

In the morning you wake up with the sun rising out of the sea in front of you, and the chance for a dawn dip in the waters. The day\\\\\\\'s hiking begins before the sun gets too high, with the trail hugging the Juatinga Peninsula coastline through the final part of the nature reserve. There are freshwater pools along the route to cool off before the trail heads up and over to the Saco do Mamanguá, the only tropical fjord in Brazil. This unspoiled paradise has mountains covered with Atlantic Rainforest towering up on each side as you cross the fjord to your accommodation. Moderate/Challenging Day with 5-6 hrs of hiking.

Day 9

The only Tropical Fjord in Brazil

Destination: Saco do Mamangua

The stunning morning view from your accommodation includes the imposing shape of Sugar Loaf Mountain (no, not that one!), at 1,600ft/500m the highest peak aorund Saco do Mamangua. Morning brings a hike up to the top for views that encompass a wide range of the Juatinga and Laranjeiras Peninsulas, with the highest Costa Verde peaks and many of its islands also visible. If you can pull yourselves away from one of the best views in Brazil, after the descent comes lunch on the beach and an afternoon kayak exploration of tropical mangroves. Easy/Moderate Day with 2-3hrs of hiking and 2-3hrs of paddling.

Day 10

Paddling Back to Paraty

Destination: Saco do Mamangua to Paraty

The boots can be packed away and the paddles picked up for a final long day of action, with a support boat on hand should anybody feel the journey back to Paraty is a paddle too far. After leaving the mountainous walls of the fjord, you paddle past the remote fishing community of Paraty-Mirim. Arriving at Paraty by sea gives you wonderful views of the historical town as the sun drops behind the Costa Verde mountain ranges behind. You will have earned a good dinner for the evening, and Paraty has many options on the cobbled streets and in the squares of the old town. Moderate/Challenging Day. 3-5hrs paddling.

Day 11

Leaving the Costa Verde Behind

Destination: Paraty to Rio de Janeiro & Away

With your flight home from Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo likely to be overnight, you have the morning to relax and recover from your Costa Verde exertions. Time maybe for a wander around Paraty to buy some souvenirs or art work. You may be able to fit in an early lunch on the historic cobbled streets before being picked up for the final part of your journey along the Costa Verde. Your hiking and kayaking tour of Rio de Janeiro and the Costa Verde is likely to stay in your memory for a long time, and it may well inspire you to return to Brazil for more adventures. You can also extend this tour to visit other parts of the country with Brazil Adventure Tours.

Prices

* Domestic Flights Estimated Price
N/A

** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation
Simple B&B
from $2,775 USD Request Quote
3 Stars
from $3,150 USD Request Quote
4 Stars
from $3,575 USD Request Quote
5 Stars
from $4,150USD Request Quote
* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed. ** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.

* Domestic Flights Estimated Price ** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation

N/A

Simple

3 Stars

4 Stars

Luxury

from

$2,775 USD

Request Quote

from

$3,150 USD

Request Quote

from

$3,575 USD

Request Quote

from

$4,150 USD

Request Quote

* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed.

** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.