Where can I see bioluminescence around Rio de Janeiro?

Question

I'll be visiting Paraty soon and saw some reports online of bioluminescence.

Wikivoyage mentions nothing of it and the reports are somewhat vague, but suggest a "Ponta Grossa" location, which currently is marked on Google Maps as a school. Other sources I've found suggest it's a peninsula. Probably the bioluminescence can be encountered on a rather large area around Paraty, but it would be nice to get confirmation of a specific location.

Answer 1

Brazlian fellow here.

Ponta Grossa is a beach in Rio de Janeiro. This is the correct location https://goo.gl/maps/nivA7V6jDyFJDT2X8

The bioluminescence is produced by a plankton called Spirogyra - we even have a music that talks about it: https://www.letras.mus.br/jorge-ben-jor/1564857/. I think it will depend of when you visit it, I'm not sure but maybe external factors like polution and heat may affect the visibility.

I have seen it in the Cardoso Island (see https://goo.gl/maps/hkF1hMec7UbK2gEK9 and https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ilha-do-cardoso-sao-paulo-brazil/index.html) but I'm pretty sure you will find it in Paraty too.

Also, a nice place to visit too is Trindade (https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/a-guide-to-trindade-rio-de-janeiros-seaside-paradise/), really close to Paraty. The access is a bit dificult (there's a hill called God forbid, roughly translated) but the place is amazing and I heard from friends that you can see the luminescence in the waters there too.

Answer 2

I did find bioluminescence near Paraty, one hour away by boat. In Paraty itself, locals have not reported the phenomenon, but I confirmed it in two locations close to each other:

1. At Happy Hammock, where the owner said the phenomenon happens constantly.

2. At Praia Lula where I experienced it myself on the last new moon night in January.

To get to Praia Lula from Paraty, I had a Portuguese-speaking friend ask around boat captains. We quickly found a boat coincidentally called Luanova ("new moon"), which had an excellent rooftop space for four, and took us there and back (~4 hours total) for 500 BRL.