Little known and safe: Paquetá island, the best kept secret of Rio de Janeiro – 23/04/2019

Calm and sandy streets, low houses and bicycles are the badets of Paquetá, an island in Guanabara Bay which serves as an escape from the neighbor's unrest Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Less than an hour by boat from the craziness of the city of Rio de Janeiro, is this island, foreign to many tourists, in which the violence and the insecurity of Rio shine practically by its absence. All its neighbors know each other and it also has the particularity of being a place without a car where the bike is the main means of transport.

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Paquetá, with a population of around 4,000 people and only 1.2 square kilometers, attracts people looking for a peaceful place to stroll, walk, hike or eat fish in front of the sea. .

Famous people

Among his illustrious inhabitants, the poet and Brazilian politician stands out José Bonifácio (1763-1838), known as the "Patriarch of Independence of Brazil". Bonifacio He lived in exile in one of the houses of the island, which is becoming a museum, currently houses a private collection of more than 10,000 pieces from the field of communication and customs.

Its owner, Fichel Davit Chargel, is 85 years old and, although his home is located in the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, he now spends more than half of his week in Paquetá.

At the age of 17, Chargel created a collection that already has about 10,000 works and is on display in one of the most spectacular homes on the island.

"I decided to buy the house because when I discovered it, it was empty and a little damaged as it was being sold for five years, but there was had room for all my amazement accumulated in Santa Teresa, "said Chargel.

"People here can feel like in a museum because of the internal architecture of the house, which also has a huge historical value," he added.

The collection includes many pieces, some dating from the sixteenth century, ranging from canes, weapons, hats or fans to photographs, film projectors and erotic card games.

From baobab to bird cemetery

But it is not the only curiosity of the island because, while walking in its streets, one finds a baobab more than seven meters in circumferencea curious bird or cemetery, in which neighbors bury their birds and on their walls, you can read poems that reflect the love of nature.

José Batista de Oliveira is another neighbor of the island, originally from northeastern Brazil and who moved to Paquetá at the age of 16, looking for a change in his life .

Since then, almost 50 years ago, he works in tourism and now walks the curious electric car around the island.

"Life in Paquetá is very calm, the island is a family, everyone knows each other, everyone knows what's going on and everyone is helped, "Oliveira explained.

He also pointed out that he was "terrified" when he read the newspapers and saw the insecurity of Rio de Janeiro, because, as he stated, in Paquetá, "the violence does not occur. "not exist" and the only situations that can occur are "isolated battles in bars".

Oliveira said Paquetá was "his favorite place in the world", although he also pointed out that "the brutal contamination of the bay, the terrible situation of the country and the little investment" make that the Island does not take full advantage of its potential.

Sandra Carnota Mallón / EFE