Ilha da Cotinga

Ilha da Cotinga lies in Paranaguá Bay about seven kilometres east of the city, a low forested island still home to one of the last small communities of Carijó (Guarani) descendants on the Paraná coast. The forest is part of the Atlantic Rainforest biome and harbours toucans, monkeys, and the rare red-tailed parrot. There are no roads — just a path through the trees to a quiet beach and the tiny chapel of Nossa Senhora do Rosário.

Boats can be hired from the Paranaguá waterfront for the half-hour crossing; agree the price for the round trip in advance, and arrange a pickup time. The community is small and conservative — visitors are welcome but unannounced groups are not. A morning visit is ideal; bring water and food.

things to do sight
A story
In January 1840, the regent princess Dona Maria do Rosário is said to have spent a night sheltering on Cotinga during a storm crossing of Paranaguá Bay. The story is local lore rather than documented history, but it has stuck — and the island's tiny chapel was built decades later partly in commemoration.