Discover the story behind the reputation.
Arraial do Cabo is a small peninsula in Rio de Janeiro state, reaching into the Atlantic and surrounded by white sand and crystal-clear water. Known as the Brazilian Caribbean, it's as close as you can get to Caribbean diving without leaving Brazil.
Did you know that Arraial do Cabo has the greatest abundance and diversity of marine life on Brazil's coast?
It's true! Diving here means floating among colorful fish, turtles, rays, seahorses and much more. With luck, you may even see passing dolphins, whales or penguins. Behind this abundance is a remarkable phenomenon called upwelling.
What exactly is upwelling?
It happens when deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises toward the ocean's surface. Those nutrients feed the marine food web and attract all kinds of fish. Upwelling regions cover about 1% of the ocean's surface, yet account for roughly half of the planet's fish production.
Read more about upwelling on Wikipedia.
So why is it called the Diving Capital?
Alongside clear water, beautiful beaches and abundant marine life, Arraial has a distinctive geological landscape that creates a wide variety of dive sites: day and night dives, shallow and deep water, wrecks, caverns and more.
Arraial do Cabo is a legally protected marine reserve.
Arraial's waters form a marine reserve managed by ICMBio, Brazil's Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. This federal agency regulates fishing, limits visitor numbers and oversees tourism activities. That protection helps keep the underwater world full of life.