Gruta Azul (Blue Grotto)

Ilha de Cabo Frio

Ilha do Farol

Naufrágio do Teixeirinha (Cabo Frio)

Paredes (Walls)

Recifes do Morro do Atalaia

Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio serve some of the freshest seafood in the Rio de Janeiro region. The daily catch arrives at the port each morning and is served in simple beachfront restaurants. Grilled fish, shrimp moqueca, and peixe frito com farofa are the staples. Cabo Frio adds a more urban restaurant scene with diverse Brazilian and international options.

Pousada do Farol

Hotel Malibu

Insólito Boutique Hotel

Pousada Tatuapara

Arraial do Cabo in the Região dos Lagos (Lakes Region) of Rio de Janeiro state is widely regarded as the best shore-accessible diving destination in southeastern Brazil. The cold water upwelling from the Cabo Frio current creates remarkably clear conditions with visibility regularly reaching 15-30 metres and supports an extraordinary mix of tropical and subtropical marine species. Ilha do Farol offers crystal-clear sloping walls with schools of mackerel, rays, and turtles, while the famous Gruta Azul (Blue Grotto) provides spectacular cavern diving with dramatic light effects, glassfish, and lobsters. The steep drop-offs at Paredes feature sea fans, gorgonians, and barracuda with occasional dolphin sightings. Despite being just three hours from Rio de Janeiro, Arraial do Cabo feels worlds apart with its small-town charm and consistently excellent diving conditions that attract divers year-round.

Rio de Janeiro – Arraial do Cabo