Scuba Diving

Diving is excellent year-round, but prime time is from December to March on the windward side and from July to October on the leeward side. If you're an experienced diver, be sure to visit the Ipiranga, a small Brazilian destroyer that sank in 1987. It sits upright in 60 meters (200 feet) of water and is swarming with fish. You can see the sailors' personal effects, including uniforms still hanging in closets. Another good site is the Sapata Cave, which has an antechamber so large that it has been used for marriage ceremonies (attended by giant rays, no doubt).

Atlantis Divers. For dive trips, Atlantis Divers has excellent English-speaking staffers and good boats. Praça do Cruzeiro s/n, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, 53990-000. 084/3206–8840; www.atlantisdivers.com.br. From R$420 for a beginner session of three hours, with 30 minutes in the water.