Paquetá Island: The Car-Free Day Trip Most Tourists Miss
Paquetá is the strangest place in the city of Rio: a 1.2 km² island inside Guanabara Bay where private cars have been banned since 1825. Locals get around on bicycles, horse-drawn carriages and tiny electric shuttles. There's one supermarket, two small beaches, a few colonial chapels, and a 70-minute ferry that drops you into 19th-century pace of life — all without leaving the municipal limits of Rio de Janeiro.
This is the 2026 day-trip plan: which ferry to catch, how to rent a bike, where to eat fried fish, and how to read the island in a single afternoon.
Quick answer: the perfect Paquetá day
- 9:00am — Praça XV ferry station, buy R$8.55 ticket.
- 10:00am — Boat departs (70 min, get on the top deck).
- 11:15am — Arrive Paquetá, rent a bike at the pier (R$30/day).
- 11:30am — Cycle the 7.5 km island loop (allow 90 min with stops).
- 1:30pm — Lunch at Lá em Casa: peixe à belle meunière, R$80.
- 3:30pm — Praia da Moreninha for a hammock and an açaí.
- 5:00pm or 7:00pm — Ferry back to Praça XV.
How to get to Paquetá
There is exactly one way: the CCR Barcas ferry from Estação das Barcas at Praça XV in Centro Rio (closest metro: Carioca, 10-min walk). Check the current timetable at ccrbarcas.com.br — typical departures are roughly every 2–3 hours, with the first boat around 5:15am and the last return around 11pm. Fare is R$8.55 each way, paid at the gate.
There's also a faster catamaran on some weekends (40 min, R$22) — check before relying on it. See Rio transport guide.
Getting around on the island
Bike (recommended)
A dozen rental stands sit directly opposite the ferry pier. R$15/hour or R$30/day for a basic city bike, R$50 for a tandem. No deposit needed at most stands — they take a photo of your ID. The full island loop is 7.5 km, flat, paved, doable in 90 minutes with photo stops.
Horse-drawn carriage
A Paquetá tradition since the 1850s. R$80 for a one-hour tour with a local driver-guide (Portuguese only). Animal-welfare debate ongoing — choose if you want the experience.
Electric mini-cars
Recently introduced for residents and limited tourist rental. Useful for groups with limited mobility.
What to see on the island
Praia da Moreninha
The most romantic corner of the island and the setting of Joaquim Manuel de Macedo's 1844 novel A Moreninha — required reading in Brazilian high schools. Small crescent of sand, hammocks under almond trees, and the iconic granite arch.
Pedra da Moreninha viewpoint
A 10-minute climb up the granite outcrop gives you a 360° view of the bay — Rio's skyline, Niterói, and the surrounding islands of the archipelago.
Praia José Bonifácio
The biggest beach on the island, north end. Calm water, kiosks, lower crowds. Sunset side.
Igreja de São Roque (1698)
The oldest chapel on the island — a tiny whitewashed colonial church on the southern tip. Free, usually open.
Parque Darke de Mattos
14-hectare park with monkey populations, native Atlantic Forest trails, and the island's highest viewpoint. Free, dawn to dusk.
Where to eat
- Lá em Casa — Paquetá's most-loved restaurant. Fried fish (peixe à belle meunière) R$80; portions feed two.
- Restaurante do Bacalhau — Portuguese-Brazilian, salt cod dishes R$90.
- Quiosques da Praia da Moreninha — caipirinhas, fried squid, grilled prawns in shaded huts on the sand.
- Sorveteria Glacial — old-school 1960s ice-cream parlor near the pier. Try the goiabada flavour.
Practical tips
- Cash is king — many small kiosks and bike-rental stands take cards reluctantly. See money guide.
- Bring sunscreen and water — the supermarket is small and pricier than the mainland. See packing list.
- Don't miss the last ferry — 11pm is final. No water taxi back. Hotels on the island exist but are minimal.
- Weekday visits are magical — Saturdays and holidays the island fills with Carioca families and the queue for the return ferry can hit 30 minutes.
- Mosquitoes at dusk near Parque Darke — bring repellent. See safety guide.
Related guides
- All day trips from Rio
- Current Barcas Rio timetable strategy, fares and payment
- Niterói day trip
- Petrópolis day trip
- Ilha Grande from Rio
- Rio with kids
- Cycling in Rio
FAQ
How do you get to Paquetá Island from Rio?
Take the CCR Barcas ferry from Praça XV in Centro Rio. It's a 70-minute ride across Guanabara Bay, with departures roughly every 2–3 hours from 5:15am to 11pm. Fare is R$8.55 each way. There's no other public way to reach the island — it's car-free and accessible only by boat.
Is Paquetá worth a day trip?
Yes if you want to feel like you've left Rio without leaving the bay. There are zero cars on the island — only bikes, horse-drawn carriages and electric carts. It's a 7.5 km loop you can do in 90 minutes by bike, with quiet beaches, colonial chapels and views back at Rio. Best for slow-paced travelers, families and cyclists.
Can you swim at Paquetá?
Technically yes, but Guanabara Bay water quality is poor near the city and unreliable around Paquetá. Locals swim at Praia da Moreninha and Praia José Bonifácio when the bacterial readings are low; tourists generally don't. Bring swimwear in case, but plan the trip around cycling and lunch rather than the beach.
How much time do you need at Paquetá?
A full day, given the 70-minute ferry each way. Arrive on the 10am boat, rent a bike (R$30/day) at the pier, loop the island, have lunch and catch the 5pm or 7pm ferry back. Don't try to combine it with anything else on the same day.
Is Paquetá safe?
Among the safest places in the entire Rio metro area. Tiny population (~3,500), zero cars, slow-paced fishing-village vibe. Petty theft is rare. The main risks are sunburn, dehydration and missing the last ferry — the 11pm is the absolute final boat back.
A car-free island inside the city
Paquetá won't headline any guidebook. That's exactly why it works — a 70-minute ferry into 1850s Brazil, and back in time for dinner in Ipanema.
→ All day trips from RioBook Paquetá Island tours
Want it organized? A guided day tour includes hotel pick-up and the return transfer. Prefer to go independently on the public ferry? The day-trip ticket is all you need.