Scuba diving in Madeira: a local guide

Madeira does not market itself as a diving destination, which is partly why the diving here is good. Visibility runs 20-30 metres in season, water temperature sits at 22-24C between June and October, and the Garajau Marine Reserve hosts the largest no-take zone in Portugal with resident dusky grouper that come close to divers.

When to come

June through October is the window. The Atlantic is calmer, visibility is highest, and the south-coast dive sites are reliably accessible. November to March, north-coast swell knocks visibility back to 10 metres and several sites become unreachable when the wind turns.

The Garajau Reserve

This reserve has been protected since 1986 and is the most reliable place on the island to see large grouper. You do not need an advanced certification: an Open Water dive with any of the seven dive centres on the island reaches it. The dive site is a sloping wall starting at 8 metres and dropping past 30; choose your depth.

PADI Open Water pricing

A full PADI Open Water course in Madeira costs 350-450 EUR depending on the operator and the season. That is cheaper than the Algarve, and the dive sites are better. The course usually runs over four days: classroom and pool day one, four open-water dives spread across days two through four. Bring a printed C-card from any prior pool experience if you have one (it does not change the price but sometimes saves a session).

Where to go next

For the per-site dive briefs, the seven dive centres compared, and the season-by-season visibility table, see the Madeira scuba diving hub at divingmadeira.com. The site has a Best dive sites in Madeira list with photos and depth profiles, a PADI courses Madeira pricing comparison, and a Diving operators Madeira ranking by ratings and certification.

By Filipe Pereira, Madeira local travel guide. Last verified 2026-05-04.