Ilhabela & São Sebastião – São Paulo's Island Diving

About Ilhabela & São Sebastião

Ilhabela and São Sebastião on the São Paulo north coast offer island diving with diverse marine environments from seabird colony walls to calm seahorse gardens. Ilha dos Búzios features walls draped in sea fans with turtles and barracuda patrolling the blue water, while Ilha da Vitória offers caves and swim-throughs with glassfish, lobsters, and moray eels. Ilha do Tamanduá provides shallow reef diving with cuttlefish and stingrays, and Praia do Portinho is a calm bay with a seahorse garden and pipefish perfect for training dives. The island setting creates sheltered conditions on the mainland-facing side while the ocean side offers more dramatic walls and pelagic encounters. With dozens of dive sites around the archipelago, Ilhabela provides enough variety for extended diving holidays while remaining accessible from São Paulo for weekend trips.

Highlights

• ✓Ilha dos Búzios walls with sea fans and turtles
• ✓Ilha da Vitória caves with glassfish and lobsters
• ✓Seahorse garden at Praia do Portinho
• ✓Dozens of dive sites around the archipelago
• ✓Sheltered and exposed diving options
• ✓Easy access from São Paulo

Getting There

Fly to São Paulo (GRU/CGH) and drive 3 hours to São Sebastião. Take the car ferry across the channel to Ilhabela (20-30 minutes). Regular ferry services operate throughout the day. Alternatively, drive directly to Ilhabela via the southern road.