Três Ilhas

The boat runs 5 nautical miles from Guarapari to the archipelago, part of the APA de Setiba. On the west side of Ilha Guararema, usually sheltered from the northeast wind though subject to moderate currents, a shallow cove holds a wide variety of invertebrates and works as a small nursery. Swimming north, the bottom deepens and fish become more numerous around the tall rocks, where small lobsters and turtles are seen now and then.

The Funil, a funnel-shaped passage between Ilha Guararema and Ilha Leste-Oeste, was a traditional training spot for basic courses, and divers pass behind a large rock inside it. At Guachumbas, the wall on the island's south side offers good shelter from the northeast wind but feels the current.

The sand between the rocks is worth watching: rays, flounders and snake eels with their heads out of the sand turn up there. The fish are much like those at Ilha Escalvada but smaller and shier, and the archipelago suits macro photography of small animals and juveniles. Depths run from 3 to 12 m, current is weak to absent on the sheltered side, visibility reaches 15 m, and December to April is the best period.