Understand
Paranaguá means "big round sea" in the Tupi-Guarani language, a reference to the wide bay that affords the city optimal conditions to function as an important port. The city was originally founded somewhere around 1550 on the island of Cotinga, and later expanded onto the mainland. The city preserves many of the oldest colonial remnants in Paraná. It also serves as a convenient departure point for Ilha do Mel.
