Offering clear blue water and visibility that routinely reaches between forty to sixty meters, Porto Santo Island is located about 40 kilometers from the mainland and an equal distance from Madeira. Here, the marine life is splendid all year, and during the winter and spring, whales and dolphins pass through, adding even more excitement to what is certainly some of the best diving in Portugal. While there are nearly twenty dive sites around Porto Santo, some favorites deserve special mention. Here are five of the best to help you begin planning for a holiday you'll never forget.
Cannons
Not only are there some ancient submerged cannons here, there is a small cave to explore. Cannons is an outstanding site for all divers, and as you inspect the three cannons that rest on a large rock, near a heap of old cannonballs that are so old they've become encrusted into the stony structure, your imagination will run wild as you consider the many possibilities that led to the cannons ending up here. Just above the heap of old munitions, the cave shelters white trevally and other fish. You can go inside to capture some incredible backlit photos - while you're there, look for crustaceans, including crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. Back outside, along the sandy sea bottom, watch for stingrays. Maximum depth here is just 20 meters.
Madeirense
Once tasked with ferrying passengers between Madeira and Porto Santo, the Madeirense was deployed as an artificial reef on October 21st, 2000. Now enjoying her retirement 34 meters beneath the crystal clear waters of Porto Santo, this hard working vessel has become a fantastic underwater habitat that plays host to an almost unbelievable array of marine life large and small. Here, you'll find everything from moray eels to nudibranchs, and clouds of colorful fish accompany you as you make your way around the wreck. If you can only make one dive at Porto Santo, this might just be the one to choose!
Bicudas
Named for the shoaling barracuda that are normally seen here, Bicudas features incredible volcanic geology with a wall that rises straight up from the seabed, cut with volcanic fingers and punctuated with big bowl-shaped depressions where gaseous bubbles in the lava once were. Not only will you find plenty of schooling fish of all sorts here, you'll encounter forkbeard and moray eels, big crabs and lobsters, nudibranchs in vibrant hues, and much more. Featuring maximum depth at 30 meters, this is one of the most beautiful dive sites Porto Santo has to offer.
Baixa dos Atuns
Reserved for experienced and tech divers only, Baixa dos Atuns features depths between 34 and 58 meters. Here, black coral shelters a fantastic array of marine life, and in the blue, you'll see schooling jack, barracuda, and tuna. Look for the big groupers that call Baxa dos Atuns home, and watch for the oversized crustaceans that hide beneath the rock formations. This site is subject to some current which adds an element of challenge to the dive, but which keeps the fish and corals happy and healthy.
Baixo do Chines
Another deep dive site washed by currents, Baixo do Chines features water so clear that you won't believe your eyes. Depths here are between 36 and 56 meters, and the marine life is stunning. Watch for everything from small sharks to schooling fish of all kinds, and be sure to take a close up look at the beautiful black coral, where macro life is in abundance.
Definitely located well off the beaten path, Porto Santo offers several outstanding shore dives as well as many boat dives. The accommodations are nice, the people are friendly, and the dive operators are well-equipped; together with the diving all of this comes together to create an outstanding place to toss your cares to the wind and relax in one of the most beautiful places in the world.