Boat Trips and Diving in João Pessoa: Exploring Nature’s Beauty

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Boat trips in the Greater João Pessoa area include diving, natural pools and a tour of historical sites.

In the beaches of the greater João Pessoa area, there are boat trips for all audiences and ages.

There are options for lovers of diving, natural pools and even for those who enjoy tours with historical content.

Passeio de barco para as Piscinas de Picãozinho Passeios de barco na Grande João Pessoa
Boat trip to the pools in Greater João Pessoa

The main tip with regard to excursions – and this applies to other destinations in the Northeast – is to always pay attention to the tide table. The weeks of the full moon and new moon are the best for trips that depend on low tide;

The piscinas naturais de Picãozinho, in front of the Tambaú Beach, are great for snorkelling and watching small fish.

One of the most eccentric excursions (which is why it’s so popular with tourists) is the one to Praia de Areia Vermelha.

The beach is actually a sandbank in the middle of the sea, visible only at low tide, which gets crowded with visitors and vendors in the short time that the sea allows them to walk along its sands.

The beach is actually a sandbank in the middle of the sea, visible only at low tide.
At low tide several boats arrive on the island and, as the tide rises, the boats return to the beach.

Videos – Boat Trips and Diving off the Coast of João Pessoa

Boat Trips and Diving on the Coast of João Pessoa PB

  1. Picãozinho natural pools
  2. Sixxas natural pools
  3. Red Sand Island
  4. Alvarenga Shipwreck
  5. Queimado Shipwreck
  6. Alice Shipwreck

1. Boat trips to the natural pools of Picãozinho

A trip to the natural pools of Picãozinho, a coral reef about the size of a football pitch, located 2 km from the coast on Tambaú beach.

At low tide they form a veritable marine aquarium with pools of warm, crystal-clear water, where you can feed and dive with the colourful little fish, also good for divers, with pools ranging from 1 to 3 metres deep.

Piscinas naturais de Picãozinho PB
Piscinas naturais de Picãozinho PB

Lasting four hours, the sea trip to Picãozinho, which is 2 kilometres off the coast of Tambaú beach, is one of the most popular with tourists.

The boats, which leave from the Hotel Tambaú, take an average of 15 minutes to reach the site. It’s worth remembering that you can only visit the pools if the tide is low;

Picãozinho has been a tourist attraction since 1980.

The tour stands out for its natural beauty, warm, crystal-clear water, the formation of reefs at low tide, as well as the contact with different species of fish, algae and coral through snorkelling.

Visitors can also borrow buoys and order underwater photos.

The boats also function as aquatic restaurants.
However, visitors can only consume the food inside the boat, as it is forbidden to go into the water with any kind of food.

2. Boat trips in the Seixas Natural Pools

A boat trip to the most easterly natural pools in the Americas, located 800 metres from Praia da Penha.

piscinas naturais do Seixas João Pessoa PB
piscinas naturais do Seixas João Pessoa PB

Departures take place at low tide, leaving from the MUXIMA restaurant in Praia da Penha until we reach one of the most beautiful reef ecosystems in Brazil, with its warm, crystal-clear waters and pools that vary in depth from 1 to 3 metres.

Ideal for swimming in the pools and excellent for snorkelling. The tour takes an average of 2.5 hours and the crossing takes 15 minutes.

The corals that become visible at low tide are located 500 metres off the coast of Seixas beach.

The place, also known as the ‘Brazilian Caribbean’, is a destination for divers and tourists looking for tranquillity, beauty and contact with marine species.

Unlike Picãozinho, the Seixas pools are much larger and it is possible for boats to stop in them. ‘Tourists can go down with the water up to their waists,’ says Leonardo Guedes, a businessman who works with boat trips.

3. Boat trips to the Ilha de Areia Vermelha

Boat trip to a sandbank that emerges at low tide, boarding at the old MARCÃO Bar on Poço beach, in the municipality of Cabedelo.

Ilha de Areia Vermelha na Paraíba
Ilha de Areia Vermelha na Paraíba

The catamarans take 15 minutes to cross to the island of reddish sand, located 800 metres from the beach, where pools of clear water form that are good for swimming. The trip takes around 3 hours.

Mapa das Praias da Paraíba
Mapa das Praias da Paraíba

The island of Areia Vermelha is located on Poço beach in Cabedelo, in Greater João Pessoa.

The place is a destination that combines different programmes, depending on the season.

Visitors can enjoy a secluded paradise with calm waters, as well as a more lively programme, as the island is home to the largest fleet of jet skis and boats on the Paraiba coast.

The island is a temporary sandbank that only appears at low tide, at a maximum of 0.4 metres, when the sand is exposed.

At high tides, it is impossible to visit.

The tourist attraction is part of the Areia Vermelha Marine State Park and can be visited by boat, jet ski or catamaran and takes around three hours, depending on how long you stay on the island.

The island offers a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and the coast of Paraíba with the comfort of tables by the sea and floating bars that cater for visitors to Areia Vermelha.

4. Diving in shipwrecks off the coast of João Pessoa

In addition to the rich marine fauna, the Paraiba coastline also hides a wealth of history beneath the waters, which can be explored by diving.

Several diving operators in João Pessoa offer trips and expeditions to shipwrecks. They provide all the necessary equipment, including air cylinders, regulators, wetsuits and detailed guidance to ensure a safe and enjoyable dive.

Diving operators offer 3 shipwreck tours:

  1. Alvarenga Shipwreck
  2. Burnt Ship Wreck
  3. Alice Shipwreck

The tour departs from the diving base located in Camboinha, in Cabedelo, in Greater João Pessoa.

Two of the ships are located on the tip line of the Bessa neighbourhood and another is on the Mag Shopping line in Manaíra. The furthest vessel is around 9 kilometres off the coast of João Pessoa.

The ships are a huge biological asset, providing shelter and refuge for a wide variety of species including turtles, sand sharks, rays, fish, crustaceans and corals.

4.1. Alvarenga Shipwreck

The Alvarenga is one of the most popular shipwrecks for diving in João Pessoa. Located about 7 kilometres off the coast, this ship sank in the 1950s and has since been transformed into an artificial reef.

The depth varies between 14 and 18 metres, making it accessible to intermediate to advanced divers.

The alvarengas were typically tasked with two functions in navigation from the early to mid-20th century.

Naufrágio do Navio Alvarenga
Shipwreck of the Alvarenga

Firstly, they transported cargo to ships that couldn’t pull into harbours due to their draught or the availability of berths (Brazil was very poor in harbours until the middle of the 20th century). In addition, many alvarengas were towed by ships, complementing a particular cargo on cabotage voyages, which was also due to the limited availability of steamers at the beginning of Brazilian navigation.

Very little is known about this wreck, which apparently sank due to strong waves when it was being towed towards northern harbours.

4.2. Queimado Shipwreck

This is another popular wreck site, located around 5 kilometres from the coast. The ship is at a depth of approximately 18 metres. The area around the wreck is rich in marine life, including corals, colourful fish and other marine organisms.

Built for the American SS Co. in 1867, it was sold to Nathaniel Winsor in 1868 and was subsequently sold to the U.S. & Brazil Mail SS Co. in 1871.

Naufrágio do Navio Queimado
Shipwreck of the Queimado

The ship was used in the postal service between the two countries.

During its second voyage, when it was travelling from Rio de Janeiro to the United States after passing through the port of Recife, it caught fire for unknown reasons at the beginning of the night and ended up sinking at two o’clock in the morning, 12 miles off the coast of Tambaú beach.

The local fishermen, seeing the bright light on the horizon, went there in 6 rafts, found a large steamer on fire and in 81 people in 8 schooners all the crew and passengers were saved.

4.3. Alice Shipwreck

This wreck is less well known, but just as interesting. It lies at a depth of 14 metres and is suitable for intermediate divers. The ship’s structure is relatively intact, offering incredible opportunities for underwater exploration and photography.

The 840-tonne steamer Alice left the port of Recife, PE. on 25 June 1899 bound for Mossoró in Rio Grande do Norte where it was loaded with salt destined for the Salinas company, based in Rio de Janeiro.

Naufrágio do navio Alice em João Pessoa
Alice shipwreck in João Pessoa

On its way to the capital, it called at Paraíba where it received two thousand bags of cotton

At the end of 19 August it left the port of Paraíba bound for the south.

Soon after crossing the bar, the steamer began to fill up with water and the efforts of Captain Francelino Duarte were to no avail.

Faced with the impossibility of draining the ship of its water, which was pouring in, the order was given to steer. The intention was to return to the harbour and if it wasn’t possible to get the steamer onto the beach.

However, there was no more time for the Alice. About four miles south of the bar and 3.5 miles from Bessa beach in João Pessoa, the Alice was sinking with its bow facing land.

When there was no hope of saving the ship, the captain and crew took to the dinghies and reached the harbour of Cabedelo, PB. safely in the middle of the 20th.

The ship’s hull settled on the bottom at a depth of 14 metres, with only the masts and spars remaining out of the water.

According to some authors, but without documentary proof, the Alice was launched at sea under the name Mariana on 10 October 1866 for the firm Francisco Gustavo de Oliveira Roxo and João Domingos de Oliveira.

The steamer was chartered by the Brazilian government to transport Brazilian troops in the war against the Paraguayan tyrant.

On 30 March 1869, Prince Imperial Gastão de Orleans (Count of Eu) boarded the ship to take command of the Brazilian army.

He arrived in Montevideo on 5 April 1869.

There are various intriguing versions of the conditions in which the shipwreck occurred, but as yet there are no confirmed accounts from primary sources. Depth 7 to 14 metres

Northeast Tourist Guide