Paraty is one of the most visited cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro and, despite being a coastal city, the beaches are not the only attraction of the place, which manages to combine several characteristics that make it a destination for any taste, age or type. on a trip.
Paraty is also an excellent destination for those who love diving, whether beginners or already registered, with more experience. To contribute to your diving itinerary in Brazil, we have prepared a guide on diving in Paraty! Check out!
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Why dive in Paraty?
Diving in Paraty means enjoying the sea of a beautiful city and still being able to walk through a true arsenal of history, considering that the place houses numerous monuments, churches and museums that tell the history of the country and which is one of the oldest in the state of Rio de Janeiro. of January.
Anyone who didn't know that Paraty is one of the most sought after diving spots by practitioners of the sport, needs to know that the city is considered one of the best diving spots in Brazil.
The reasons are numerous and vary from the very crystalline sea that is characteristic of the region, calm waters that provide a great experience for beginner divers and even a diversity of deeper points for those who already dive.
Best diving spots in Paraty
For those who don't miss a great tour of a wonderful city that brings together several annual events, such as the famous book fair in Paraty, one of the largest of its kind in the country, and even experiencing local diving, knowing more about the best-known diving spots can be fundamental.
One of the biggest advantages of diving in Paraty, which is pointed out by several specialists, is the excellent mapping of the diving points, which greatly facilitate the practice of the sport.
Safety when the maps are well made, as is the case in Paraty, increases a lot because it is more difficult for divers to enter risky places or miss dive exits.
Learn more about the experience at Paraty diving
See the most frequented and interesting spots for diving in Paraty!
- Meros Island
This is a diving spot for those who love rock formations and entrances to burrows and passages. The marine life characteristic of the place is formed by crustaceans, different schools of fish and many starfish.
The depth of the place can reach 21 meters and an incredible attraction of the place is a statue of Christ the Redeemer submerged in the island and that can make incredible photos for a holiday album.
A great advantage of diving in Ilha dos Meros is that it is suitable for both more experienced divers and beginners. The most famous region, both for diving and for bars and events, is Ponta Sul da Ilha.
Anyone who thinks that the only underwater attraction is the statue of Christ is wrong, there is still a submerged plane in this region of the island and a symbol of Freemasonry.
- island of mice
Ilha dos Ratos is another of the most visited and explored points by divers who go to Paraty to explore the seabed and it is a relatively shallow place, the maximum depth reaches only 12 meters.
One of the points that make the island famous is a statue of the god Neptune, who is the Roman god of the seas.
Anyone who has heard of night diving spots can find on the Island a great opportunity to carry out this incredible experience and see the sea at night in one of the most beautiful cities in the country!
The marine fauna of Ilha dos Ratos is the most diverse in the region and many fish can be seen underwater!
- coconut island
Ilha dos Cocos is also a place of shallow depth, the deepest place is no more than eight meters and most experienced divers point out that the island's waters are the clearest in the region.
The island's sea has a cave where very beautiful and diverse marine animals inhabit, such as a large number of octopus.
The photos taken in the cave are worthy of a magazine album and can be taken by those who decide to dive in Ilha dos Cocos, an excellent place also for those who are starting to dive.
However, some points on the Island have a higher degree of difficulty and it may be necessary to have a more experienced guide and even be accredited for more complex dives.
- Long Island
Ilha Comprida is a place for diving where it is possible to take pictures surrounded by colorful fish and using only snorkeling equipment for shallower dives.
As it is a spawning place for fish, it is very easy to find schools of fish that are still small and of smaller species, which are excellent in photos.
The baptism of diving for those who are going to dive in Paraty is usually done on Ilha Comprida because of its calm and very beautiful waters!
Almost all the tour boats that leave Paraty with tourists go to Ilha Comprida, which, in addition to diving, also offers many other attractions.
- cajaíba
Ponta da Cajaíba is one of the deepest diving points in Paraty, reaching 28 meters in some places, but it is also one of the most interesting due to a shipwreck that took place in the last century, in 1913.
The Naufrágio Paulista, as it became known, was a steamboat that sank in the seas of Paraty, close to the Island and luckily had all the crew saved.
The story recorded in a letter tells that the rudder of the boat broke and the navigation was thrown against the rocks of the Island with violent force. The boat did not carry passengers and its wreckage can be seen by divers to this day!
Although it is not possible to enter the sunken ship, the view next to the boat is incredible due to the size of the huge vessel.
- Meros' share
Parcel dos Meros is a diving point that is further away from the city of Paraty and has a sea with stronger currents due to the wind, so it is recommended to dive in the place by more experienced divers.
But diving in the place is very worthwhile, whoever decides to dive in Parcel dos Meros will find beautiful rock formations and coral reefs.
Another attraction that is often visited at the bottom of the sea in Parcel dos Meros is a large sunken buoy with currents that still remain in place.
Myths about scuba diving
As you have seen, Paraty is an excellent place for diving and has numerous options for those who love to see the seabed and enjoy all the beauty of marine life. In addition to these points, it is also possible to dive in Paraty at Praia da Lula, Praia dos Antigos, Praia Vermelha and other locations indicated on the map.
But those who start diving usually come across some myths related to diving that can be very curious, but which, in fact, are nothing more than stories probably invented by those who are afraid of the sea.
See the main myths about diving and learn the real story behind these inventions:
- the air can run out
Many people are afraid of diving and running out of oxygen underwater, however, this is the last factor to worry about because the technology of the equipment makes this possibility almost nil.
That's because what we call diving equipment is actually a set of accessories that prevent this from happening. One of them is the manometer that can indicate the amount of air still in the cylinder. This is a piece of equipment that shows the diver when it's time to go to the surface.
In addition, the regulator that takes the air from the cylinder to the diver's mouth also has a reserve in case of any problem.
- expensive equipment
Many people do not start diving because they believe that it is necessary to buy very expensive and inaccessible equipment. However, it is not so!
That's because those who dive only recreationally without so much constancy can choose to rent the devices, without investing so much money in the purchase.
Another issue to consider is that while you are taking a diving course, the school usually gives away the equipment because the amount paid for the course already includes this rental.
So, you only need to buy the complete equipment if you decide to dive frequently or become a diving professional.
- Dangerous animals under the sea
Who hasn't heard stories of divers who found sharks at the bottom of the sea? It is necessary to verify that these stories are really true because deep-sea sharks rarely pose a risk to divers.
Another issue is that we rarely find sharks in the Brazilian seabed, it takes a certain amount of luck for this to happen.
Accidents with sharks are much more frequent with bathers and surfers because, in general, sharks attack because they are frightened and not to feed.
There are even divers who look for sharks to get close to, which is rarer, in order to film and take pictures.
Now that you know about the diving spots in Paraty and know the myths that revolve around diving, you can start making your route today!
See all other experiences at Paraty Tours.
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