Elite Dive Center

Tucked into the waterfront of Vila do Abraão, in the heart of Ilha Grande, Elite Dive Center is a PADI 5 Star Dive Resort built around one idea: safe, professional, and genuinely memorable time underwater. The team of two PADI Instructors brings a strong recreational-diving background and a real passion for the ocean, with personalized attention whether you're taking your very first breaths underwater or logging your hundredth dive.

Courses and what to expect

New divers can start with PADI Discover Scuba Diving, a roughly three-hour introduction from USD 117, while those ready to earn their certification can take the PADI Open Water Diver Course over about four days from USD 665. Safety and respect for marine life sit at the centre of every activity, and instruction is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The centre is well equipped, with an onsite training pool and classroom, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a retail shop, and its own dive boat right at the water's edge. Divers here share the water with sharks, rays, turtles, whales, ocean fish, and other marine life — a good fit for curious beginners and seasoned divers alike.