Bombinhas is known as Santa Catarina's capital of eco-diving, and the reason lies a few miles offshore: the Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve. Created in 1990 and managed by ICMBio, Brazil's federal conservation agency, it protects the islands of Arvoredo, Galé and Deserta and the Calhau de São Pedro rock, and plays a key role in fish breeding along this stretch of coast. That protected sea is why the water around Bombinhas is so rewarding for anyone who puts on a mask.
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But you don't have to go far to see fish. The rocky headlands of the sheltered coves hold marine life a few meters from the sand, and much of the diving in Bombinhas starts with your feet on the beach.
As a biological reserve, a strictly protected federal area, Arvoredo is closed to visitors: access is restricted to research and environmental education, with authorization from ICMBio. Recreational diving takes place in the south of Arvoredo Island, by the Navy lighthouse, in an area outside the reserve's boundaries. That's where the town's dive operators head on their daily trips, along with the rocky headlands of the peninsula.
Within town, Sepultura is the best snorkeling spot: a short cove sheltered by two rocky headlands, with green, almost still water. Marine life shows up in the first few meters, and at the back of the cove lies Bio Vida III, an underwater sculpture by artist Pita Camargo. Praia de Bombinhas and the left-hand headland at Quatro Ilhas also reward snorkelers with good schools of fish.
If you've never dived with a tank, you can try a discover dive: a first scuba experience in calm, shallow water, with an instructor who provides the gear and explains the basics — no certification needed. The town's operators teach both beginners and experienced divers.
Opening hours, prices and access rules change: check with the managing body before you go.
Keep exploring
Seeing Bombinhas from the water is how you understand the peninsula: the headlands, the hidden coves and the islands on the horizon only show themselves fully from on board. Several companies run boat trips in two styles: relaxed ones, for taking in the scenery, and adventure trips with pirates, designed to entertain the whole family. Schooners leave from Mar de Dentro in Canto Grande, among other spots.
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Bombinhas is a peninsula of hills covered in Atlantic Forest, and nearly every trail here ends with the same reward: the sea seen from above. Two municipal conservation areas hold the best routes — Morro do Macaco Municipal Natural Park, in Canto Grande, and Costeira de Zimbros Municipal Natural Park, in the south of the peninsula.
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Not all of Bombinhas' sea is a swimming pool. The beaches facing the open ocean get real swell, and two of them are the heart of the local surf: Quatro Ilhas and Mariscal.
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We know every beach — and every property — in Bombinhas. Talk to our team and find your place in the sun.
