Brazil
The name of Cacimba do Padre, in Fernando de Noronha, comes from a source of drinking water discovered in 1888 by the chaplain of the island's prison, which came to be called Cacimba do Padre. The beach has a strip of bioclastic sand about 500 metres long, bounded by cliffs of ankaratrite lava flows covered in vegetation.
Because of the steep slope of the seabed, the waves that break there are spiral-shaped and form the so-called tube. Between December and April, these tubular waves are often compared to those of Hawaii, and this is the period when the beach usually hosts surfing and bodyboarding championships. The beach is known as the "Brazilian Hawaii", and the highest waves tend to form in summer. In February, it usually hosts one of the stages of the World Surf Circuit. In February 2019, it hosted the Oi Hang Loose Pro Contest, a QS stage of the World Circuit that was returning to the island after six years, and the stands kept a minimum height so that nesting turtles could pass underneath. That same month, a surfer who was on a bodyboard in the late afternoon fell onto a shark that was following a school of sardines and needed 83 stitches.
Cacimba is one of the beaches in the Fernando de Noronha Environmental Protection Area where turtle nest openings with public participation, run by the TAMAR project, usually take place. With a favourable tide, you can make the short crossing from Cacimba do Padre to Baía dos Porcos, passing close to Morro Dois Irmãos, for a longer stretch watching the seabed. In the Mar de Dentro, between December and March, the swell season, the water tends to be rough and snorkeling is not the best option in the region. Even outside the surf season, the sea at Cacimba do Padre can be rough.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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