Morro de São Paulo

The diving runs from the village beaches. Companhia do Mergulho, diving Morro since 1997, takes boats to about eight points around the village, and BluesDivers is based on Terceira Praia. Boat trips range from the short hop to Caitá island to the open-sea reefs of Itatimirim and Itatiba, each with a north and a south part, so two dives fit on one outing.

Itatimirim, Guarani for small stone, is an extensive open-sea coral reef that starts at 9 m and reaches 22 m. Itatiba is a broad coral bank covered as a drift, as is Recife do Forte, which runs from the fort to the left end of Primeira Praia. Caitá is a rocky island ringed with brain coral, fire coral and gorgonians, cut by caverns, chapeirões and large boulders between 1 and 15 m. Elsewhere there are extensive pink soft-coral gardens and walls with lobsters and turtles.

Morro suits a first dive: try-dives are run with the instructor alongside for the whole dive, and no swimming ability is needed. The closest dive is a shore entry: the Pedra do Moleque reef lies off Primeira Praia and is dived by day or at night. Certified divers get shallow coral, caverns and drifts on open-sea banks. Boipeba, a district of the same municipality, is not part of this area.