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Liveaboard diving in Portugal

Azores — mobula rays at Princess Alice, blue and mako sharks, Madeira and the Desertas

1 yacht for liveaboard diving

Portugal — mobula rays at Princess Alice Bank, blue and mako sharks off the Azores, Madeira and the Desertas. Dive trip schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

Princess Alice Bank — schooling mobula rays over an open-ocean seamount
Blue sharks and makos on baited dives off Faial and Pico
Whale-watching capital of the Atlantic — sperm whales year-round, blue whales in spring
Madeira — the Garajau reserve, volcanic walls and the caverns off Funchal
The Desertas — a colony of Mediterranean monk seals
The Berlengas near the mainland — granite arches and caves, visibility up to 30 m

What you'll meet underwater

Mobula rays, Mobula tarapacana (schools at Princess Alice, July–October) Blue sharks (baited dives, July–October) Shortfin mako sharks Sperm whales (around the Azores year-round) Atlantic spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins Mediterranean monk seals (the Desertas) Dusky groupers of the Garajau reserve Ocean sunfish (mola mola) and schools of Atlantic horse mackerel

Practical information

Best season: July–October (mobula rays, blue and mako sharks, warmest water)
Water temperature: 15–24 °C
Visibility: 15–40 m
Wetsuit: 5–7 mm with a hood; drysuit in winter
Experience level: Advanced for Princess Alice and the shark dives (blue water, open ocean); Open Water is enough for Madeira and the Berlengas
Getting there: Fly to Lisbon (LIS), then connect on a domestic flight to Horta (HOR) or Ponta Delgada (PDL) in the Azores, or to Madeira (FNC). Direct flights also run to Funchal and Ponta Delgada from several European hubs.
Airports: Horta (HOR), Ponta Delgada (PDL), Funchal (FNC), Lisbon (LIS)
Visa: Portugal is in the Schengen area. EU/EEA citizens travel freely; visa-exempt nationalities may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Everyone else needs a Schengen short-stay visa applied for in advance, with biometrics and proof of accommodation, insurance and funds.
Climate: Maritime subtropical, 14–25°C year-round in the Azores, hot dry summers on the mainland
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: Portuguese
Time zone: UTC+0 (mainland and Madeira), UTC-1 (Azores)