Best places to dive in Rio de Janeiro

There is no need to introduce the city of Rio de Janeiro, a well-known international destination that attracts thousands of people every year. Among Brazilians, Rio de Janeiro does not leave the list of vacation trips for offering an immense amount of options for all tastes.

But the bottom of the sea in Rio de Janeiro becomes more and more a point to consider every day when we think about visiting the city. That's because not everyone knows, but you don't have to leave the capital to find excellent diving spots! Check out what they are!

Diving in the city of Rio!

Diving is an activity that grows a lot in Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro is no different! Although not everyone knows it, there are great diving spots in the wonderful city that make tourists from different places and even those who live in Rio invest in scuba diving along the beaches of the region.

Although there are other well-known destinations in the state for diving, such as Arraial do Cabo and Ilha Grande, the city of Rio de Janeiro has a lot to offer in terms of seas for diving and abundant marine life.

If you also love Rio de Janeiro and want to enjoy all the tours offered there, check out the best places to dive in Rio right now and enjoy!

Find out all about our experience Diving Rio de Janeiro.

Tijucas Islands

The Tijucas Islands are among the most listed points for diving in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the most interesting thing is that they are just over five minutes away by navigation from Barra da Tijuca, which also offers enormous practicality for those who live or are hosted in the city.

One of the possibilities to reach the place is to take the boats that leave Barra and pass through the Marapendi channel, reaching the Islands that are important outlets for diving.

The place that has the most shelter from the winds, being one of the best for diving is Ilha Pontuda, which can reach up to 14 meters deep in some points, being ideal for scuba diving with equipment.

On Ilha Pontuda there are numerous rock formations that form walls and allow the passage of divers who can observe numerous colorful schools passing by.

Visibility there is very high and on sunny days it reaches more than fifteen meters, a great rate for seas close to urban centers.

The curious thing is that in Rio de Janeiro there is sometimes a phenomenon called Maré Roxa, which increases even more the visibility in the Tijuca Islands, making them reach up to 25 meters. The Maré Roxa is, in fact, a stream of water that comes from the ocean and retains the crystal clear water typical of the high seas for a long time near the beach.

When this happens, the waters of Rio de Janeiro look like crystalline spots like the Caribbean, making diving even more incredible there.

Cagarras Islands

The Cagarras Islands are other very important points frequented by divers in Rio de Janeiro. The Islands are only five kilometers from Ipanema Beach, which makes diving very close to the shore for those who live in the city.

The site has been a conservation area protected by the Navy since 2010, as it has potent marine life, including dolphin visits at various times of the year.

This is a dive that can also be done by beginners, but it can be done by those who are accredited for scuba diving as well.

An advantage of this dive is that the Cagarras Islands are places full of history, as they were the path of the Portuguese colonizers who arrived in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Dive studies at the site found a diversity of trees that were once extinct and even remnants of indigenous civilizations that no longer exist at the site.

Another curiosity of the Cagarras Islands is that the temperature of the waters there is usually very cold, which can be a relief on very hot days. This feature also makes diving find ideal conditions to take place.

The diversity of animals present in the sea near the islands and that can be seen by divers is enormous. The number of registered fish species alone exceeded 200, not to mention the immensity of other marine animals that also live there.

Rasa Island and Buenos Aires shipwreck

As seems to be common in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the city would be no different and is home to a famous shipwreck that can be visited by divers on Ilha Rasa, Buenos Aires.

Many people consider the Island as the best diving spot in the city of Rio de Janeiro due to its excellent visibility, attractions on the seabed and the diversity of marine life.

The wrecked ship was a freighter of German origin that crashed into the island in 1890, being, therefore, a very old shipwreck that can still be seen in rubble at the bottom of the sea.

The pieces of the vessel, however, may require a little more technique to visit because the depth of these wrecks varies from 12 to 42 meters.

In addition to the very important depth, there is always some current on the sea surface of Ilha Rasa, making this dive suitable for more experienced divers.

portinho

Portinho is the diving spot in the city of Rio de Janeiro that usually offers more safety and less technical requirements, since the place is much calmer in terms of currents.

Portinho is very close to the point of Buenos Aires, still on Rasa Island, and is also very sheltered from the wind, which prevents strong currents and offers greater safety to beginner divers.

The temperature in Portinho is also very low, with an average of 18 degrees depending on the time of year, which guarantees a dip in icy waters to cool off in the heat of Rio de Janeiro.

Red Beach

Praia Vermelha is not only a postcard of Rio de Janeiro due to its wonderful surface, but also an increasingly important diving point for those who want to see the marine life from the bottom of the sea up close.

Those who don't know Rio de Janeiro need to know that Praia Vermelha is part of the famous Sugarloaf Mountain and the entrance coincides with Guanabara Bay, which has more polluted waters.

However, the same is not true of Praia Vermelha, which is home to very clear and clean ocean waters, offering excellent diving conditions for those who go there.

The left or right coast are starting points for dives and night dives are also offered, which allow the diver to appreciate the seabed in front of the dazzling night of Rio de Janeiro!

Advantages for those who want to dive in Rio de Janeiro

Diving in Rio de Janeiro can be something that doesn't cross the mind of those who know the city as an important and popular point of busy nightlife and always crowded beaches.

But as Rio is diverse and always surprising, the facet for divers it offers is quite large and growing every day. Among some advantages that can and should be taken advantage of when diving in Rio de Janeiro, we can list:

Departures near the waterfront

Regarding most of the diving trips in the country, the places in Rio de Janeiro that are ideal for diving are close to the shore. In some, five or ten minutes by boat are enough for those who want to reach excellent diving spots, such as Praia Vermelha or Ilhas da Tijuca.

icy waters

Although the waters of Guanabara Bay are usually very warm, the oceanic seas can offer much cooler waters, as is the case of Ilha Rasa, which in some places offers very cold waters, up to 18 degrees at some times of the year. .

Anyone who wants to take a quick escape and cool off in a dive can do so with all practicality by going for a dive in the city of Rio de Janeiro!

Beaches with structure

The structure of the city of Rio de Janeiro doesn't even need to be explained, but this is a fact that contributes a lot to the great experience of diving in one of the most beautiful cities in Brazil!

Anyone who wants to get away from diving trips and find excellent options for gastronomy, drinks, hotels and tourism is right when they create a diving itinerary that covers the best spots in Rio de Janeiro!

Anyone who has seen the best places to dive in the city of Rio de Janeiro cannot fail to get to know all the wonders that this city also offers under the sea!

Discover the diving spots in Rio de Janeiro and make your trip to the most famous tourist city in the country even more unforgettable!

See all experiences at Rio de Janeiro tours.