Mainland – Peniche & Nazaré (Silver Coast)

About Mainland – Peniche & Nazaré (Silver Coast)

The Silver Coast covers Peniche’s Papoa Reef and the Santa Maria Manuela wreck, plus the calm São Martinho do Porto bay for beginners. Just south, the Nazaré Canyon is the source of record waves and extreme technical diving for specialists. When Berlengas is inaccessible, Peniche’s shores keep divers in the water. 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

• ✓Santa Maria Manuela: a cod-fishing ship scuttled as an artificial reef at 18-28 m.
• ✓Papoa Reef: rocky walls with nudibranchs and octopus for training.
• ✓Berlengas gateway: Peniche is the launch point for the biosphere.
• ✓São Martinho do Porto: a calm bay ideal for beginners and seahorses.
• ✓Nazaré Canyon: extreme technical diving with deep-sea pelagics.

Getting There

Fly into Lisbon (LIS) and drive about 1 hour north to Peniche and Nazaré; boats for Berlengas leave from Peniche harbour.