Barra Reef

Ilha dos Frades

Ilhéus – Costa do Cacau

Mar Grande & Itaparica Wrecks

Naufrágio do Queimado

Bahia is Brazil's gastronomic soul with Afro-Brazilian cuisine unmatched anywhere in the country. Moqueca Baiana (fish stew in coconut milk and dendê palm oil) is the iconic dish served in clay pots. Acarajé (black-eyed pea fritters with vatapá and shrimp) is the legendary street food. Aberém, caruru, and bobó de camarão round out a cuisine that is both ancient and extraordinary.

Hotel Catussaba

Pestana Convento do Carmo

Hotel Indaiá

Fiesta Bahia Hotel

Salvador, the vibrant capital of Bahia, and the cocoa coast city of Ilhéus offer a distinctive blend of urban diving and coastal exploration along Brazil's northeast shore. Salvador's dive sites feature rocky reefs draped in large gorgonian sea fans, historical shipwrecks from the colonial era, and surprisingly diverse marine life despite the urban setting. The Baía de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints) shelters numerous wrecks and reef systems including the famous Naufrágio do Queimado with its 19th-century cannons. South along the coast, Ilhéus on the Costa do Cacau offers coral patches, regular sea turtle encounters, and seasonal humpback whale watching from July to October. The cultural richness of Salvador with its Afro-Brazilian heritage, colonial architecture, and legendary cuisine adds extraordinary value to the diving experience, making this region appeal to divers who seek culture alongside underwater adventure.

Salvador & Ilhéus

Fly to Salvador/Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (SSA), one of Brazil's major hubs. Ilhéus is accessible by domestic flight (IOS) or a 6-hour bus journey south along the BA-001 coastal highway.

Dive Sites in Salvador & Ilhéus

Barra Reef

Ilha dos Frades

Ilhéus – Costa do Cacau

Mar Grande & Itaparica Wrecks

Naufrágio do Queimado