Madeira – Desertas & Porto Santo

About Madeira – Desertas & Porto Santo

The Desertas Islands are a pristine Madeiran marine reserve of sheer walls patrolled by huge dusky groupers, amberjack and the rare monk seal, reachable only by expedition. Nearby Porto Santo offers the Afonso Cerqueira cable-layer wreck, rocky reefs and extensive seagrass meadows with rays. This is the wild, remote side of Madeira diving. This region rewards careful planning and respects marine-protection rules, offering rewarding diving for a range of Atlantic experience levels. This region rewards careful planning and respects Portuguese marine-protection rules, offering rewarding diving for a range of Atlantic experience levels. This region rewards careful planning and respects Portuguese marine-protection rules, offering rewarding diving for a range of Atlantic experience levels.

Highlights

• ✓Desertas Islands: pristine walls with huge groupers and rare monk-seal encounters.
• ✓Afonso Cerqueira wreck: a 30-45 m cable-layer off Porto Santo for technical divers.
• ✓Ilhéu de Cima: walls covered in anemones and groupers.
• ✓Pedra do Sol: a rocky reef with macro life and lobsters.
• ✓Porto Santo seagrass meadows with rays, pipefish and cuttlefish.

Getting There

Base in Funchal or Porto Santo (PXO); Desertas trips are organised liveaboard or expedition boats, while Porto Santo is reached by ferry or short flight from Madeira.