Scuba Diving in Bonito, Brazil: Discover Dives, Certified Dives, Where and Prices

Bonito is one of the few places in Brazil where you can scuba dive in fresh water with visibility of tens of meters. What sets it apart from the ocean is the setting: instead of a reef, you descend into a spring-fed river full of fish, a blue sinkhole or a lake inside a cave. There are options for first-timers, on a discover dive, and for certified divers. This page compares the formats, locations and 2026 reference prices. The category overview is in scuba diving in Bonito.

Scuba diving or snorkeling?

Don’t mix them up. Snorkeling (called flutuação, or “floating”, in Bonito), the town’s signature tour, happens at the surface, with mask, snorkel, life jacket and wetsuit, and you don’t need to be a strong swimmer. Scuba diving uses self-contained breathing equipment, goes below the surface and is done with an instructor or divemaster. If you just want to see fish in clear water, snorkeling does the job for less. See snorkeling in Bonito.

Discover dive vs certified dive

A discover dive is a guided experience, not a course: it does not give you a certification. To keep diving, you need to take a course with a training agency.

Where to dive

Rio da Prata (discover dive)

At Recanto Ecológico Rio da Prata, in the municipality of Jardim, about 50 km from Bonito, the discover dive takes place in the same river as the region’s most famous snorkeling tour, with golden dorado and piraputanga fish. 2026 reference: about R$ 410, from age 10. It is sold as a separate voucher from the snorkeling tour. See Rio da Prata.

Lagoa Misteriosa (discover and certified)

A turquoise sinkhole more than 220 meters deep, also in Jardim, about 45 km from Bonito. Access is by a 1.1 km trail and a staircase. The discover dive, from age 10, costs about R$ 490 in 2026 and goes to around 8 meters. Certified divers go deeper, to about 20 meters; ask for the certified price when booking. The lagoon only operates from April to October: the rest of the year, algae reduce visibility. See Lagoa Misteriosa.

Anhumas Abyss

The most expensive and sought-after dive in the region, 23 km from Bonito. The descent to the lake is 72 meters, by rappel or electric platform, and the water is 18 °C. In the lake, the dive winds between submerged limestone cones more than 19 meters tall, to about 20 meters deep. 2026 reference: about R$ 1,699 to R$ 2,387, depending on the option, with a minimum age of 12 and certification required. The limit is about 20 people per day, and a check-in the day before, at the office in downtown Bonito, is mandatory. Without it, there is no descent. See the Anhumas Abyss.

2026 price table

These are 2026 reference prices, without transfers, and they vary between low and high season. Prices are set by each attraction and are the same at every licensed agency (in Bonito, every tour is booked through a licensed local agency, which issues a voucher). Add Bonito’s Environmental Conservation Fee (R$ 15 per person, per day with a tour) and ask whether Jardim charges a municipal fee at the southern attractions. Other tours are in Bonito travel costs.

Certification and health

• Certification. For certified dives, bring your certification card. The allowed depth depends on your level and each operator’s rules; state your level when booking.
• Medical form. All formats require a medical form. Diving and snorkeling are restricted for pregnant women, people with heart conditions or epilepsy and anyone who has had recent surgery. Respiratory and ear problems can also rule out diving.
• Flying after diving. Respect the interval before flying; training agencies usually recommend 12 to 18 hours. Don’t leave the dive for your last day, especially if you are catching a connecting flight home.
• Weight and equipment. Attractions provide the gear. At Anhumas, there are weight limits linked to the rappelling equipment: check when booking.

Visibility and best time

Bonito’s water passes through limestone before it surfaces and comes out filtered, which explains its unusual visibility for fresh water. The temperature stays between 21 and 24 °C year-round in the rivers and at 18 °C at Anhumas; wetsuits are provided.

• May to September: dry season, clearest water and fewest cancellations. The best time.
• April to October: Lagoa Misteriosa’s operating window.
• November to March: rainy season. Storms can cloud the rivers for a few days and lead to rescheduling.

See the month-by-month comparison in best time to visit Bonito.

Fitting it into your itinerary

• Rio da Prata or Lagoa Misteriosa: the Jardim day combines snorkeling or diving in the morning with Buraco das Araras in the late afternoon. See Jardim, MS.
• Anhumas Abyss: requires two days in town, one for check-in and one for the tour. Book weeks ahead at any time of year, and 60 to 90 days ahead in high season.
• Transfers: not included in most price lists. With a rental car, the Jardim day is more flexible.

For adventure without a tank, rappelling and other options are in adventure tours in Bonito.