From colonial times to the 1940s, Antonina was Paraná [1]’s most important port. Since its role was taken over by Paranaguá [2], Antonina has slipped into something of a backwater, albeit an appealing one full of preserved but faded 18th- and 19th-century buildings that gaze out over the blue waters of the Baía de Paranaguá.
Drowsy Antonina comes to life during Carnaval. As in neighboring Morretes [3], its charms can be easily soaked up in a couple of hours.
However, if you plan on spending more time in the region Antonina makes a pleasant base. At the nearby Rio Cachoeira [4] you can go swimming in waterfalls or rafting down the river.
Sharing space with formerly grand colonial houses on the town’s pretty main hilltop square, Pousada Atlante (Praça Colonel Macedo 266, tel. 41/3432-1256, www.atlante.com.br [5], R$75–100 d) offers comfortable lodgings in a beautiful historic house with a small pool. Get a room with a balcony that overlooks the 18th-century Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Pilar and the Baía de Paranaguá.
Caçarola do Joca (Praça Romildo G. Pereira 42, tel. 41/3432-1286, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Wed., 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. and 7:30–10 p.m. Sat., 11:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun., R$20–30) is located in an atmospheric old house whose walls were constructed by the Jesuits who founded the town. The restaurant is acclaimed for its barreado, whose traditional preparation involves 20 hours of slow cooking over a low flame. In high season (Dec.–Feb. and July) it is also open Thursday and Friday (11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.).
Antonina is 86 kilometers (53 miles) from Curitiba and 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Morretes. Viação Graciosa (tel. 41/3432-1272, www.viacaograciosa.com.br [6]) offers frequent bus service to Curitiba [7] and Paranaguá [2] via Morretes [3].
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/the-south/parana
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/the-south/parana/curitiba-paranagua/paranagua
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/the-south/parana/curitiba-paranagua/morretes
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/bahia/the-reconcavo/cachoeira
[5] http://www.atlante.com.br
[6] http://www.viacaograciosa.com.br
[7] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/the-south/parana/curitiba