Mainland – Porto & North (Costa Verde)

About Mainland – Porto & North (Costa Verde)

The Costa Verde stretches from Viana do Castelo to the Porto harbour, with shallow rocky reefs, training bays and scattered wrecks such as the City of Vienna and the Navio do Hospital. Kelp slopes at Vila do Conde and the Cepos fishing-boat wreck add variety in cooler, greener Atlantic water. It is a gentle, accessible region for learning and macro. 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

• ✓Âncora Bay: shallow rocky reefs with octopus and cuttlefish, great for training.
• ✓City of Vienna wreck: a WWI-era cargo scattered off Viana do Castelo.
• ✓Navio do Hospital: a shallow hospital-ship wreck with seahorses.
• ✓Guia Reefs: kelp slopes with lobsters, wrasse and sea bass.
• ✓Leixões Harbour: small wrecks used for training dives.

Getting There

Fly into Porto (OPO); dive centres operate from Viana do Castelo, Póvoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde, Esposende and Leixões, mostly by shore or short boat.