About Azul House reef
Azul House Reef is a conveniently accessible dive site located in Madeira, Portugal, a few steps from a dive shop. It features a solid concrete jetty with stairs and handrails, offering an easy entry and exit point for divers in a bay sheltered from wind. This site is valued for its gentle conditions, making it an excellent location for both new and experienced divers, as well as for night dives. The underwater topography presents a varied landscape of volcanic rock, sand channels, and boulder fields, alongside small cave or cavern-like features. These structures create diverse habitats and a visually engaging dive profile, with depths reaching up to 14 meters (45 feet). It's primarily a shore entry site, offering a relaxed and scenic underwater exploration. The mixed rocky and sandy bottom supports a rich array of marine life, including octopuses, cuttlefish, barracudas, stingrays, eagle rays, and moray eels. Common sightings also include seahorses and trumpetfish. The site's year-round accessibility, especially during warmer, calmer months, enhances the likelihood of comfortable and rewarding encounters with these species. Diving here typically involves shore entry, often facilitated by a jetty, making it straightforward for most certification levels. The site is frequently used for training and orientation dives due to its easy conditions. It is described as a relaxed experience, suitable for exploring its varied marine ecosystems, and can be enjoyed multiple times.
Highlights
Volcanic rock formationsSandy channelsEasy shore entryOctopus and cuttlefishMoray eels and stingraysSmall caves and cavernsNight diving appealSheltered bay conditions
Best Season
Azul House Reef is diveable across most of the year, though the calmer, warmer months are generally preferred. During these periods, shore entry and surface conditions are more comfortable, enhancing the overall dive experience at the site.
Dive site facts: Azul House reef
- Depth
- 0–14 m
- Current
- Mild
- Entry
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Level
- Beginner
- Dive type
- Reef, Muck diving
- Region / port
- Portugal
- Coordinates
- 32.6359° N, 16.9078° W
Conditions & Currents
This site typically features a straightforward shore profile without strong currents, making it a relaxed diving experience. Entry and exit are facilitated by a solid concrete jetty equipped with stairs and handrails, providing easy access to the water. The sheltered nature of the bay helps minimize surface chop and surge, contributing to consistently calm conditions. Visibility is generally good, allowing for clear views of the diverse marine life and topography. Given these benign conditions, the site is well-suited for all certification levels, including beginners, and requires no specialized current-related dive planning.
Why dive Azul House reef from a liveaboard?
Azul House reef is one of Portugal's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Azul House reef on their Portugal itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Azul House reef
These liveaboards may visit Azul House reef on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
Water And Wind
Portugal
8 guests13.41 m
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© Esri — Maxar, Earthstar, GIS
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