The Port of Paranagua is the seaport for the Brazilian state Parana’s capital, Curitiba. The city of Paranagua is the state’s oldest, having been founded in 1648. It is famous for its outstanding port facilities. Located on the Paranagua Bay at the foot of the Serra do Mar, it is a short 29 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. In 2005, over 139 thousand people called the Port of Paranagua home.

The first settlement began in the mid-1500s on the island of Cotinga, but it was little more than a base for exploration and searching for gold. In the 1570s, Sao Paulo residents won the land bordering the Taguare River from the indigenous Carijo and established a village there. People continued to come to the early Port of Paranagua hoping to find gold in the area. In 1585, Portuguese explorers officially founded the town.

In 1640, a military government was established in the Port of Paranagua under Captain Gabriel de Lara. In two years, the village won the status of a town. The Province of Parana and its Port Authority was established in 1854. In 1880, the railway station was built, bringing additional commerce to the city. Today’s Port of Paranagua was officially established in 1935.

By the middle of the 20th Century, the Port of Paranagua was a thriving commercial center based on the export of soy, coffee, hides, paper, tea, beans, cotton, plywood, bananas, and sugar. An oil terminal was constructed in the 1970s, further enhancing the port’s important role for the state of Parana.

In 1872, the transformation of the old port began to be replaced by more modern facilities. Brazil’s federal government granted the right to develop the port to Jose Goncalves Pecego, Peter Aloys Sherer, and Jose Maria da Silva in that year. The concession was transferred to the State of Parana in 1917. Construction of the modern port began in 1926, and it was opened in 1935. In 1949, Brazil’s government officially assigned management of the Port of Paranagua to the State of Parana.

The State of Parana has two important ports: Paranagua and Antonina. Together, they move about 28 million tons of cargo annually. Almost all (90%) of the port activities are controlled by private interests.

The Port of Paranagua is the biggest exporter of soy beans in Latin America, but it can handle all types of cargo. It is Brazil’s largest port for shipment of grains and its second biggest maritime terminal. It is connected to inland Parana by road and rail networks.

Covering more than 2.3 million square meters, the Port of Paranagua has storage capacity for over 1.2 million tons of bulk cargoes. Its docks are a total of 2.6 thousand meters long with alongside depth from 8 to 13 meters. It contains 24 warehouses with 70 thousand square meters for the storage of general cargo and 78 storage tanks with capacity to store 260 thousand cubic meters of liquid cargo. Its container yard covers almost 303 thousand square meters, and the Port of Paranagua can process 25 containers per hour. The port also has capacity to store 60 thousand tons of sugar and seven thousand tons of refrigerated cargoes.

The Port of Paranagua is Brazil’s most important port for the export of agricultural commodities, exporting 2 million tons of soy beans, 7 million tons of soy pellets, and 200 thousand tons of maize each year. The port area includes 21 silos with total capacity to store 760 thousand tons of soy and grain. The silos are connected to the loading docks by conveyor belts that can load three Panamax vessels at the same time.

In 2007, the Port of Paranagua handled general cargoes of over 5.8 million tons of exports and 2.7 million tons of imports. It handled over 25 million tons of dry bulk and almost 4 million tons of liquid bulk cargoes. The Port of Paranagua handled almost 300 thousand TEUs of exports and about the same number of imports of containerized cargo. Almost 2500 vessels carried this cargo through the port.

Paranagua Bay is the state’s largest. Its lagoon estuary is considered the third most important in Brazil. Covering an area of 677 thousand square kilometers, it contains several smaller bays and many islands that support fishing communities and the Port of Paranagua.

Four hundred years of history await visitors to the City of Paranagua (Portuguese). The indigenous Carijo people lived on the island of Cotinga. Colonial landmarks that survive today include the 1767 Fort of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres (Portuguese), the Baroque Museum of Archeology and Popular Art, the Sao Benedictus church, and a glorious 17th Century fountain.

Travelers can walk its quiet streets, stroll along the river, and take in marvelous views of the sea. You’ll find restaurants offering delicious local cuisine and a lively nightlife.

The Port of Paranagua is located in southern Brazil, where temperatures are usually cooler. Paranagua is known for its hot summers and warm winters. In the summer (December to February), temperatures can reach 40°C (104°F). The coolest months of the year are from July to September, when average highs are from 21°C (70°F) to 12°C (54°F).