There’s a lot more to Portugal than first meets the eye, and a lot of that is under water. With around 1,000 kilometres of mainland coastline and 12 islands, our clear blue waters offer some wonderful dive sites. The waters of the Atlantic are the least polluted on the planet and visibility off the coast is usually between three to 15 metres, although around the islands it can get up to around 30 metres.

And with eight marine reserves and parks there’s plenty to see. The wildlife includes manta rays, whales, dolphins, sharks, large groupers, the shy sunfish, and any number of schools of brilliantly coloured fish. As well as the exotic fauna and flora there are bizarre volcanic landscapes and fascinating caves, caverns, and even wrecks.

There are dive schools and hotels offering a variety of packages that provide equipment, training, transport, advice, accommodation, and anything you could possibly need. So get on line and have a look. The only difficult thing will be choosing the area that you want to explore; they are all so tempting and exciting.

And remember, the climate keeps the water temperature at between 13 to 24 degrees Celsius all year round. What’s not to like!

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