Scuba Diving Around Madeira
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Things to do · Destination Guide
Atlantic island walls, marine reserves, and easy add-on days to Porto Santo
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Madeira is an easy Atlantic base for divers who want marine-reserve fish life without complicated logistics. The Garajau Marine Reserve near Canico is the signature zone, with protected reef structure and famously approachable groupers. Add boat diving at Cabo Girao for dramatic walls and an artificial-reef wreck, then use the Porto Santo ferry for a wreck-focused day.
Local operators (for example in Funchal, Canico, and Porto Santo) can handle SIMplifica reservations and the per-dive protected-area fee on sites that require it, so you can focus on timing conditions and enjoying the scenery.
Madeira's flagship protected area for divers, known for healthier reef scenes and large groupers that behave differently inside the reserve.
A SIMplifica-listed Garajau reserve site.
A Garajau pinnacle-style profile that combines structure with open-water blue.
Another managed Garajau reserve site in the SIMplifica list.
A reserve entry area that works as a check-dive zone and a confidence builder before moving to deeper structure.
Corveta Afonso Cerqueira (Cabo Girao)
Purpose-sunk as an artificial reef in the Cabo Girao marine park area.
Madeirense (Porto Santo artificial reef)
A classic Porto Santo artificial reef target, sunk in 2000.
Operator Checklist
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