Ilha Grande & Angra dos Reis – Costa Verde Island Diving

About Ilha Grande & Angra dos Reis

Ilha Grande and Angra dos Reis form a stunning island-studded bay on the Costa Verde (Green Coast) of Rio de Janeiro state, offering calm sheltered diving amid tropical forest-covered islands and historical wrecks. The Blue Lagoon (Lagoa Azul) is the region's signature site with calm shallow waters, seahorses, pipefish, and coral gardens perfect for beginners and night dives. Ilha de Jorge Grego provides submerged rock pinnacles with nudibranchs, large groupers, and turtles, while Laje do Coronel offers deeper drift diving with amberjack and barracuda. The Naufrágio do Aquidabã, a Brazilian ironclad from 1894 sunk by explosion, is a protected historical wreck at 15-22 metres adding colonial-era diving to the mix. Paraty further south adds coral reefs and butterflyfish in a charming colonial town setting. The Costa Verde's combination of pristine Atlantic forest, calm waters, historical wrecks, and proximity to both Rio and São Paulo makes this one of Brazil's most accessible and rewarding diving regions.

Highlights

• ✓Blue Lagoon calm shallow diving
• ✓Historical Aquidabã ironclad wreck from 1894
• ✓Rock pinnacles with groupers and turtles
• ✓Deep drift diving at Laje do Coronel
• ✓Paraty colonial town diving
• ✓Close to both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo

Getting There

Fly to Rio de Janeiro (GIG/SDU) and drive 4-5 hours south along the scenic Rio-Santos highway (BR-101) to Angra dos Reis or the Paraty region. Alternatively, take a ferry or speedboat from the mainland to Ilha Grande. São Paulo is 5 hours south to Paraty.