Weekend in Paranagua

A large covered market with over 50 stalls selling local handicrafts, including lacework from the Ilha de Valadares, ceramics, wooden carvings, and cachaça. Also has a small food c

Tip: Prices are fixed at most stalls, but haggling works if you buy multiple items. Try the pastel de palmito (heart of palm pastry) at the food court.

One of Brazil's oldest Franciscan churches, built between 1718 and 1725, with a simple whitewashed facade and impressive baroque wood-carved altar inside. The adjacent cloister now

Tip: The museum entry is free, but donations are accepted. Visit early morning to avoid tour groups. The wooden choir loft has excellent acoustics.

Museum housed in a 19th-century former Jesuit college, with extensive collections of indigenous artifacts, colonial-era objects, and archaeological finds from the Paraná coast.

Tip: Check the small garden behind the building for a quiet spot to sit among recovered stone carvings. Closed on Mondays.

The public viewing area overlooking Brazil's second-largest grain port. Watch massive ships being loaded and unloaded, with tugboats manoeuvring in the bay. The port structure itself dates from the ea

Tip: Best in late afternoon when the light is good for photos and the port workers finish shifts, creating a busy atmosphere. No access beyond the public barrier—bring binoculars.

A 160-hectare protected area of Atlantic Forest with well-marked walking trails, a boardwalk over mangroves, and good birdwatching opportunities. The park also protects remaining stands of juçara palm

Tip: Wear sturdy shoes and bring insect repellent. The longest trail takes about 1.5 hours. No drinking water available inside the park.