Berlenga Grande

Best months: Jun–Oct

Protected Area

Berlengas

Why dive here

With 116+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales and ocean sunfish (mola mola) - Berlenga Grande offers some of Algarve & Berlengas's richest cave diving. Water ranges 15-19°C, warmest June, October, November.

Best timeJun–Oct

WetsuitA 5mm wetsuit

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Blue Whales, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales and Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) · 116+ species recorded

Water15-19°C · warmest June, October, November

CharacterCave dive · max 5-30m

StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

Berlenga Grande. We love this place. It's a proper adventure just getting there, a boat ride out to this rugged island reserve off the Portuguese coast, all dramatic cliffs and the kind of sea air that really wakes you up. Once you're in, it’s a world of granite caves and arches, not your typical coral reef, but fantastic in its own right. Our favourite part is the light play in the bigger caverns, shafts of sunlight cutting through the water, illuminating schools of black sea bream and pandora. It’s an intermediate dive, currents can pick up, so keep an eye on the dive brief. You’ll find plenty of wrasse darting about, and if you’re lucky, maybe a moonfish gliding by in the bluer water. We’ve even seen razorbills and Atlantic puffins on the surface during safety stops, a real treat. This site is brilliant for divers who appreciate dramatic topography and a bit of mystery over flashy colours. It feels wild, untamed.