Celebrating the new year in magical Catimbau Island

My Family and I started 2010 having lunch at a magical place:  Catimbau Island, a 45-min boat ride from Paraty, one of Brazil's colonial gems on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Catimbau is so small it's almost not quite an island, it's more like a rock formation in the middle of the Paraty Bay with only a restaurant on top called Eh-Lahô.  

Everything about his place is amazing... the construction elaborately perched over the rocks, amazing grilled seafood and a wonderful feeling of being in the middle of nowhere having a great time with friends.   After lunch, we all jumped from the deck into the crystal-clear green waters.  You didn't even need a snorkel to see a variety of colorful fish.  

In case you plan to go to Paraty anytime soon, here are the coordinates for you to explore on Google Earth:

This is the photo I took approaching the island, which doesn't do justice to the place.  

You have to go there to feel the magic.