Event: Brazil

Parati Carnival

When:	2 - 6 Feb 2008 (annual)
Where:	Parati
Costs:	Free

If you're looking for an alternative to the massive Rio de Janeiro Carnival, head down the coast to the old colonial town of Parati. It is a more traditional party, is less crowded and set in a utopian environment.

Like the bigger carnivals, Parati's celebrations play on fantasies, but it is more akin to the Venice Carnival in Italy or the Carnaval de Olinda in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It includes masked blocos, or carnival groups, along with children and adults in fancy dress and effigies of famous personalities.

Carnival costume allows the people to be someone or something else for a couple of days, escaping from everyday life into the world of fantasy, be it black or white, king or pauper. They often aim (harmlessly) to scare the passers-by with skulls and deformed papier machê heads.

Although most of the celebrations take place in the historic district of Parati, there are plenty of other events on the local beaches, including the Bloco de Lama, which traditionally starts from the Praia do Jabaquara before continuing around the town. This group represents a prehistoric tribe whose objective is to frighten off evil spirits.