Azores Resorts

Where’s the best resort-based diving in the Azores?

While diving opportunities exist on most islands in the Azorean archipelago, certain islands have come to be known for their exceptional scuba diving.

In the south-east of the Azores’ island chain, Santa Maria may be small in size, but amongst divers it’s large in stature. Local dive sites offer lava plateaus, pinnacles and walls adorned with vibrant, colourful marine life. Also, accessible from the island is the site of Ambrosio; one of the best places in the Azores to see manta and mobula rays, who come to feed on this deep pinnacle from late June through to October.

Farther afield, yet still accessible on a day diving trip, is the Formigas Marine Reserve; a group of islands with exceptional visibility and a high chance for pelagic encounters. Nearby, Dollabarat is a submerged reef also known for encounters with larger marine life.

Daily diving is offered by local dive centres, with pick-ups from nearby hotels available.

In the north-west of the Azores, Pico Island also provides for scuba divers looking for an outstanding resort-based diving holiday. Boasting the Azores’s highest point in Mount Pico, the island also lays claim to some of the finest diving.

Pinnacles, arches, walls and lava tunnels make for stunning scenery on many dives, while fish life is plentiful. The main draw for more experienced divers is Princess Alice Bank, a mid-Atlantic seamount rising from more than 1,000 metres to within 35 metres of the surface. Between July and September, divers may witness a carousel of mobula rays around this remote seamount, with a supporting cast of jack, tuna and barracuda. While 85 kilometres north of Pico, this famous dive site can be reached on a day trip while staying in a local hotel.

Excellent resort-based diving exists on São Miguel, with a range of dive sites to suit a variety of experience levels. It’s also possible to dive Forimgas and Dollabarat from São Miguel Island.

What to see when

Mobula and manta ray are possibly the Azores’ most sought after oceanic visitor and can be seen from late June through to the end of September at dive sites such as Ambrosio and Princess Alice Bank.

Whale sharks can also be seen from Santa Maria Island in similar months.

Around the islands of Pico and Faial, blue shark can occasionally be seen between July and mid-October, along with mako shark if you’re lucky.

Jack, tuna, barracuda, grouper, turtle, octopus and moray eel are also commonly sighted throughout the archipelago.

The Azores are also a magnet for cetaceans, with sightings of bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, sperm whale and humpback whale throughout the tourist months of May to October, with other whale species also seen regularly. Half-day whale watching excursions can be arranged to complement your diving experiences.