The Tarzan Waterfalls are a popular jungle destination known for its natural rock slide & swimming hole and since being told about it in Rio it was firmly on our list of things to visit in Paraty. Having looked into the different ways to go we had learned that tour guides had wanted over a $120 BR for a Jeep to take us to the top, so instead we decided to wing it and make our own way there (classic Hannah & Ben). Trusty Uber at the ready, we made our way to the waterfalls for about $20 BR (less than £4!)

The park had free entrance so we hiked to the top. The view over the waterfalls were beautiful, so we stripped down and jumped straight in! 

We bumped into a couple of guys from Dublin who told told us they were about to jump from the highest rocks into the pools below. We wished them luck and with our hands over our eyes, we watched them dive in from a rock about 30 feet high.

There was a small crowd forming around a pool near a rock so we decided to see what all the fuss was about. An English speaking family explained that a bright green snake was swimming at the bottom. Ben became very excited, then started filming and taking pictures of the animal. After a couple of minutes with the snake staying still, Ben reached into the water only to discover that the “snake” was just a large bit of bright grass! Feeling silly, we both swam off. 

We made our way to the Toboggan area of the park and saw some Brazilian guys doing flips and jumps into the shallow, rocky pools below. They were running across the slippery rocks at full speed and landing only millimetres from a massive pointed boulder below. This was obviously very dangerous but very entertaining to watch.

It was then the tourists turn. Not feeling brave enough (or stupid enough!) to have a go at the run, we both sat down and slid down the rock face. We picked up speed in no time at all and crashed into the freezing cold water… a painful experience but lots of fun!

Our fears weren’t short lived and only a few minutes later a Brazilian woman smashed her head into one of the rocks below. The bump on her head was huge and the poor lady was naturally very distressed. Obviously we’re prepared for any situation and broke out the med kit. Offering a cold compress for the swelling and a bit of comforting, we did all we could for her and helped her back out of the pools. 

It felt like the right time to leave, so we headed back to the Poussada for a pre-planned FaceTime with Sarah and Max. It was so nice to see our friends face to face, but really made us miss home. After lots of giggles and an emotional goodbye to them both, we headed out for a quick bite to eat and a couple of caipirinhas, before prepping for our 6 hour journey to São Paulo in the morning.