the island has been a popular short-range getaway destination since rio's days as a colonial capital, and today many of the houses and farms from that era have been preserved through paquetá's designation as a cultural environment protection area.           

transportation around the island is exclusively non-motorized, and the roads remain unpaved, for exclusive use by horse-drawn carriages, horses, bicycles, and pedestrians.  

for couples, families, or anyone wishing to escape the city for a day, the opportunity to trade the sounds of cars and motorcycles for birds and cicadas is a welcome change of pace.