Paraty is unforgettable! Founded in the first half of the XVIth century, it preserves the most perfect collection of Brazilian colonial architecture that has been declared by the government a National History Monument. Around 1700, Paraty became the second most important port in the country, where the gold from Minas Gerais was shipped to Portugal. In 1799, with the end of the gold cycle, Paraty began to produce the “aguardente” or “cachaca” (alcoholic beverage made from the sugar cane) that has the city’s name. Today you will find five of these mills functioning the same way mills did 200 years ago with water wheels, mills, oak barrels, copper stills and wood ovens. It’s a necessary stop.