São Paulo has a long stretch of coastline with many beaches that are listed among the most beautiful in the country, which makes the state a true contrast between urban development and paradisiacal and preserved places.
Who would have thought that the industrialized state of São Paulo, the largest economy in Brazil, would have numerous excellent diving spots that make the route of divers of all levels who want to know the wonders of the state's sea in depth?
Check out the best places to dive in the state of São Paulo and explore the coast of São Paulo, discovering incredible beaches and unparalleled marine nature!
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Why travel to the coast of São Paulo? – diving in São Paulo
Many people who live in the state run out of there during beach seasons and one of the reasons is to try to stay away from the hustle and bustle, but the fact is that every day more São Paulo is recognized for the excellent structure and beaches that offer the best for those who visit the place.
Counting the entire coastal strip, the state of São Paulo has more than 600 kilometers of beaches that are divided into regions called Baixada Santista, Litoral Sul and Litoral Norte.
Santos, Praia Grande, Guarujá, Itanhaém and Bertioga are some cities on the coast of Baixada Santista and are very popular due to their proximity to the capital. Those who want to do a day trip in the city of São Paulo usually opt for Guarujá or Santos.
The south coast mixes a little with the Baixada Santista, but Ilha Comprida, Iguape and Barra do Turvo are cities that are located in this region and that also receive tourists at various times of the year.
But nothing compares to the North coast of São Paulo. This is where most of the beaches listed as the most beautiful in the country are found, especially Ubatuba, Ilhabela, São Sebastião and Maresias.
Those who want to dive, therefore, have a wide choice of places that are excellent points of diving and that appeal to all tastes and profiles of divers.
See the most suitable spots for diving in the waters of the state of São Paulo and get the script right!
Santos slab
In Santos, in Baixada Santista, it is possible to dive in a wonderful place called Laje de Santos, which is actually an island that is located in the Parque Estadual Marinho da Laje de Santos, a famous sea preservation area.
To get to the dive site it is necessary to take a boat from São Vicente and travel out to sea for about an hour and a half or about 42 kilometers from the coast.
Laje has the shape of a giant whale half a kilometer long and has several diving spots that can be explored according to the diver's profile.
One of the most interesting diving spots is the Moreia Shipwreck, which is 22 kilometers deep., whatand can be visited by experienced divers.
Despite being sunk, the Moreira was purposely sunk to attract tourism and develop the fauna and flora on the site.
As the ship's structure is unstable, it is not possible to enter the vessel, but the view from the outside is already something inexplicable.
For advanced level divers, it can be interesting to dive in Pebbles, an incredible formation in a U-shaped tunnel with incredible landscapes.
However, accessing the tunnel requires buoyancy control and some strength to control the current, so diving is not recommended for beginners.
Goat Island
This is one of the main places to dive, with lots of marine fauna and underwater life. Ilha das Cabras is located at Ilhabela, a very famous spot for divers.
Praia das Sete Fontes
Praia das Sete Fontes is located in the municipality of Ubatuba, one of the most visited on the coast of São Paulo. Anyone who knows this beach will never forget it, since the impression of being in front of a movie set is very strong.
It has wind shelter, which makes the sea very calm and almost without currents. Its crystalline waters impress even those who come to the place just to enjoy the beach.
Praia das Sete Fontes is part of Anchieta Island which also has other points for diving, where visibility can reach 12 meters and depth to 18.
Castelhanos beach
This is a beautiful beach located at Ilhabela that offers an excellent option for diving on the coast of São Paulo.
Praia de Castelhanos has very clear sand and is located in a very preserved Atlantic Forest, ideal for bathing in the sea and diving in deeper regions.
A curiosity about the place is that it is not possible to reach the beach by ordinary vehicles, only motorcycles or 4X4s, since cars cannot handle the trail.
Thus, those who decide to venture to the beach need to walk along the 15-kilometer trail, unless they are using one of these means of transport.
But it is also possible to get there by boat and, for dives that require heavy equipment, this is the best strategy.
Despite being somewhat isolated, it is already possible to find accommodation at Praia de Castelhanos, an excellent option for those who, in addition to diving, want to enjoy the exuberant nature of the place.
Cabbage Island
Ilha das Couves is another of the great wonders of Ubatuba. Anyone who wants to dive in the state of São Paulo cannot leave this city on the north coast out of the diving route.
The Island is formed by two small beaches and it is also the formation in Ubatuba that is furthest from the mainland and the great advantage of the dives on site is that they are not exclusive to experienced divers.
Thus, those who decide to enjoy the seabed of Ilha das Couves up close can go without fear to discover one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil with crystal clear waters and unique marine life!
pond
Also in Ubatuba, Lagoinha has already become a sure destination for those who come to the city to dive. The place has a very calm sea and divers usually make a small trail with their equipment until they reach a place called Bonetinho and from there go along the rocks.
It is possible to see entire schools of colorful fish and abundant marine life in a setting that looks more like a natural aquarium!
Vessels Cemetery in Ilhabela
Not everyone knows, but Ilhabela has the largest shipwreck cemetery on the entire Brazilian coast, which makes the place even more sought after by tourists from all over Brazil.
The fact that many ships and other types of craft were sunk in Ilhabela attracts more diverse explanations, maintaining a mystical air in the place that, in the opinion of many, would be surrounded by curses and even assumptions of deep sea magnetisms.
There are more than 10 shipwrecks on the site and among the main ones that can be visited by divers are:
uA steamship sunk in Ilhabela in the year 1882 and that left Santos bound for New York to transport sacks of coffee. Incredible as it may seem, bad weather threw the Crest to the coast, where it ended up sinking.
Guarany, which had almost two thousand men on board, being an army tugboat that collided with another ship, the Borborema, causing the sinking of the Guarany.
The ship can still be visited and now serves as a shelter for the exuberant marine life of Ilhabela.
Velásquez, an ocean liner that docked in Santos from Buenos Aires and that carried many sacks of coffee, as well as passengers heading to New York.
The ship also hit rocks in Bustamante due to fog which caused navigation errors.
It is one of the most visited ships because the access to the site is easy, therefore, even inexperienced divers can visit the colorful fish that live there.
Dart, a freighter that also transported coffee to the United States and which sank in 1884 after hitting the Sapata slab and ending up sinking in Ilhabela.
For the population of the region, the Dart is called the ship of crockery because it was possible to find many English crockery inside with the official royal coat of arms.
Aymoré, a Brazilian ship built in 1883 that was a shipwreck on the spot due to heavy fog. Despite having been stranded for a long time after the accident in 1920, it was not possible to tow the large freighter, which ended up sinking and now serves as a tourist spot for divers in Ilhabela.
Let's dive in São Paulo?
If you have already checked out the best spots for diving in the state of São Paulo, be sure to create your itinerary and enjoy the beauties of the seabed, which can include the most beautiful beaches in the country, which still have an excellent structure to receive visitors.
The great advantage of diving in the state of São Paulo is that it is easy to find equipment, rent it and join diving expeditions in different places. So, anyone who dives in São Paulo will probably become an experienced diver in no time!
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