Saco do Mamanguá: Brazil's Only Fjord

Saco do Mamanguá in Paraty is considered Brazil’s only true fjord — but first, let’s explain what a fjord actually is.

A fjord is a large sea inlet surrounded by tall, rocky mountains. Landscapes like this are common in Scandinavian countries like Denmark and Norway, and here in Rio de Janeiro too, as you’ll see.

How to Get to Saco do Mamanguá in Paraty

Located in Paraty Mirim, this inlet stretches 8 km from the sea and 2 km wide, home to 33 beaches and 8 traditional caiçara fishing communities, forming a genuine Atlantic Forest refuge. We’d recommend hiking up to the top of Pão de Açúcar for the best view of the area.

To reach the summit of Pão de Açúcar, the easiest route is to drive to Paraty Mirim, to the Igreja Nossa Senhora da Conceição, a trip that takes about 30 minutes from Paraty, and from there, hire a speedboat to Saco do Mamanguá, adding another 17 minutes.

The boat captain’s phone number, for anyone who wants to book, is +55 24 99219-6925, and his name is Nivaldo. We paid R$250 for the tour for the two of us.

As soon as you arrive on the island, you’ll need to agree on a pickup time for the return trip — we scheduled two hours, since we hiked up quickly, but we’d honestly recommend giving yourself 3 to 4 hours, since the view is simply wonderful.

About the Pão de Açúcar Trail

• Difficulty: medium, since it’s all uphill, though well marked.
• Distance: 3 km total.
• Elevation gain: 398 meters.
• Peak elevation: 400 m.
• Hiking time: 2 hours (round trip).
• Cost: R$250 for the boat captain.
• Climbing up to Pico do Pão de Açúcar: free.

The trail is fairly simple, starting from Praia do Cruzeiro, where the boat captain drops you off, well marked at a moderate difficulty, 1.5 km to the top, though it’s practically all steep uphill, through dense forest — so the whole trail stays humid, since sunlight barely reaches the ground.

The advantage of visiting the fjord is that you get to enjoy its beautiful, green-tinted beaches — but since we’re talking about an ocean inlet surrounded by mountains, expect to find vibrant, lush vegetation all around too.

We thought the climb was absolutely worth the effort, even with the drive out to Paraty Mirim and the boat ride — the view from up there is genuinely paradisiacal, and the sea wrapping around the islands makes for an unmissable sight.

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Learn more about our trip to Paraty and the cachaça stills we visited.