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by Dr. Marcelo A.L. Cardoso

The most famous of all the islands of Guanabara bay

      A trip through PAQUETÁ, the most beautiful island among those ones of Guanabara bay, in Rio de Janeiro, always brings along a bit of romanticism and stirs new feelings.

      Just about 10 sea miles away from downtown, in the northern part of the bay, there is PAQUETÁ, "The Island of Love Affairs", with has been discovered by ANDRÉ THEVET, the VILLEGAIGNON's mapmaker, in December 18th of 1556, when the Frenches wanted to stablish a FRANÇA ANTÁRTICA in BRAZIL.

      The crossing from RIO to PAQUETÁ and from PAQUETÁ to RIO takes one hour by boat and 20 minutes on the over marines (ski crafts).

      When PAQUETÁ was discovered it was inhabited by the tamoio Indians, who named it "PAQUETÁ" due to the large amount of "PACAS" that then were on the island and therefore the name "PAQUETÁ", from "PAC" (paca a wild animal like a rabbit) + "ETA" (a lot of) = "A LOT OF PACAS".

      PAQUETÁ has a similar shape to a number 8 and it's biggest axle is found in the North-South direction. The total area of the island is about 1 Km2 and it has 6 Km on it's sea border, with about 20 native beaches, and 9 hills.

      The upper part of the 8, which had been primarily the Saint Roque's Farm, is still popularly known as the "FIELD", in association with the grassland of the Saint Roque's Farm, is still popularly known as the "FIELD", in association with the grassland of the Saint Roque's Farm; and the under part of the 8 is popularly known as the "BRIDGE", because the "bridge" where the boate are moored, which has always been at the same place.

      PAQUETÁ is really only a quarter of the Rio de Janeiro city and has a fixed population, out of season, about 3.000 people, and a floating population, mainly at peak season, around 17.000 people.

      Its best entertainment is its marvelous environment and its quiet places which makes it look like a paradise, to adults and children too. Adults can relax by taking a walk through its quiet streets paved with gravel and where traffic of cars is not allowed, but only of bicycles ... They also like very much to sit down on a little stone bench in the shade of any big tree and taking a rest, while looking at the sea and the flowers, and hearing the bird's singing. They can also take good pictures of a large variety of marvelous landscapes... or take a walk around the island on the coaches, or on the little tram... or visit the principal sights of the island, where the birds sing all year round and where there are lots of colored flowers.

      The quiet beaches are very appreciated by all people and principally by the children, who also like very much to ride a bicycle, to take a walk on the coaches or on the little tram, to fishing, and playing with completly freedom around all over the island, or on one of the rent boats on the GUARDA Beach (Pedalinhos and Caiaques).

      PAQUETÁ is the only place around the world where there is a BIRD'S CEMETERY! ... That's true! ... A cemetery only for birds! ...

      It's also a place where in the nights of full moon the crickets and fireflies party invite us to sing too... and where nothing goes on a hurry ...as all the tranquility of the world God has put in that place...

      The DARKE DE MATTOS Park is a beautiful spot around "THE HILL of the Cross", a place from where in the XVIth century the Jesuit priests extracted kaolin, a kind of clay that was employed at the manufacturing of china to make the saints images.

      Among the large number of myths that have been created about PAQUETÁ, one of the most popular is the fable of "The Sweethearts Stone", a big boulder on José Bonifácio Beach, which has plenty of small stones over it. According to the fable a girls-friend , or a boy-friend who arrives at PAQUETÁ for the first time should turn his back to "The Sweethearts Stone" and threw three small stones over it while thinking of his/her loved person. If one of the three small stones remain over "The Sweethearts Stone", it'll be an indication of good luck in the love.

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