Although snobby residents of Rio will sneer at beaches in the state of Sco Paulo, the area around Ubatuba is a scuba diver's dream come true. (It's also not bad for tree and beach lovers; 70 percent of the area is protected Atlantic rainforest, while the jagged coastline means the many small, sandy, difficult-to-get-to beaches remain blissfully free of people.) Diving takes place around the many small islands that dot the coast, with each island offering its own particular attraction. Ilha das Couves is known for its coral, and for the dolphins that often keep you company near the surface. Ilha de Palmas and the surrounding waters hold hundreds of intriguing rock formations, many containing sizeable caverns—the place for cave divers to practice their esoteric and dangerous craft.
And for those who missed out on their tacky tourist fix, at Ilha Anchieta there's an underwater statue of Jacques Cousteau, sunk in 1997 in memory of the French researcher and filmmaker.
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