Madeira and Porto Santo 11 days / 10 nights
Included
- Transfer from Madeira airport to hotel
- Accommodations (Madeira & Porto Santo)
- Breakfast & dinner daily (Madeira & Porto Santo)
- Three days diving, tanks & weights (Madeira & Porto Santo)
- One tour of the island (Madeira & Porto Santo)
- Transfer from hotel to ferry
- Ferry from Funchal to Porto Santo
- Transfer from ferry to hotel
- Transfer from hotel to Porto Santo airport
Excluded
- International flights
- Nitrox
- Equipment and diving computer
- Meals or drinks not mentioned above
Day 1: Madeira, Funchal
Airport transfer to Vidamar Resort, evening at leisure to explore the island or relax by the ocean. Overnight Vidamar Resort.
Day 2: Dive from Funchal
Diving the beautiful and crystalline waters of Maderia make it possible to dive into its natural reserves and to observe numerous species such as cnidarians like anemones, black corals, fish like groupers, moray eels, stingrays, and – if you’re lucky – even sea lions, the monk seals, the rarest in the world.
Day 3: Dive from Funchal
Garajau, a National Park, one of many Natural Reserves in Madeira, is a fantastic and guaranteed great dive. There are several diving spots in the Reserve. In this one, the main highlight is the large shoals of fish of different species diving close for your amusement.
The bottom is sand and rolled stones. In some places, we find giant rock formations that form “chimneys”, and it is possible to pass through them. You can observe large schools of Salemas, Seabreams, Bicudas and sometimes some Amberjacks accompanying you during the ascent.
Day 4: Dive from Funchal
The Corvette Afonso Cerqueira, after Corvette General Pereira D’Eça, is the second ship to go deep into the seas of the Madeira Archipelago. The objective was the creation of a road map of artificial reefs with environmental tourism potentialities. The Corvette Afonso Cerqueira, which belongs to the same class as the General Pereira d’Eça, is 85 meters long and 14 meters high. Built in 1973, it served in the Navy for over 40 years, with a regular crew of seven officers, 14 sergeants and 51 sailors. The ship was decontaminated and stripped of all toxic material, was sunk by cutting explosives and now rests 400 meters offshore at a depth of about 30 meters. Fifteen meters is the depth of the bridge.
Day 5: Visit Madeira
High cliffs dominate the northern coast, and in the western part of the Island, you find the only plateau on the Island, the Paul da Serra, with altitudes between 1,300 and 1,500 m. Alongside its natural beauty, Madeira has another surprising beauty: its remarkable network of irrigation channels – the “Levadas”. These waterways are a living reminder of past generations’ titanic efforts to distribute the abundant water that flows from springs at the top of the mountains amongst the slopes and valleys. They cover several protected areas, including the Madeira Natural Park and the Funchal Ecological Park. These magnificent walks give a glimpse of the breathtaking landscapes in a perfect encounter with nature.
Day 6: Travel to Porto Santo
Check out of Vidamar Resort and transfer to ferry dock. After a ferry ride, that connects the two islands, you will arrive Porto Santo. You will transfer to Pestana Resort, evening at leisure to explore the island or relax by the ocean. Overnight Pestana Resort.
Day 7: Dive Porto Santo
You will have the immense pleasure of diving into the beautiful, warm, and crystalline waters of Porto Santo. For those who love diving, this Island hides charms you will not want to miss. Here, you can dive into one of the most privileged places in the world to practice this sport. The temperate and crystalline waters of Porto Santo make it possible to dive into its natural reserves and observe numerous species.
Day 8: Dive Porto Santo
Baixa do Max is located inside the bay of Porto Santo, very close to Ilhéu de Cima, and within the Marine Protected Area. The name is due to a great grouper who existed there, known as Max. The dive site consists of spectacular vertical volcanic walls, rocks, and boulders of various sizes over a sandy bottom. It is just inside the protected marine Reserve, and the fish life is perfect, with resident groupers and all the other common species.
Day 9: Dive Porto Santo
Another spot you will dive –especially if you are a shipwreck lover – is the Corveta Pereira d’Eça. Corvette General Pereira d’Eça is one of the three ships sunk close to the Madeira and Porto Santo Islands. She lies less than 1 mile from the coast in the marine reserve area at a depth of 30 meters. Here, we can find marine spiders, crabs, anemones, and all kinds of marine life. There are reefs off the coast nearby and even an archaeological dive site to see ancient cannons.
Day 10: Visit Porto Santo
A fantastic tour that will take you to the most beautiful and unforgettable landscapes, where you will learn about the geology and typical flora of the Island. There are intriguing volcanic structures to discover and an unexpected sandy area in the middle of the Island with remarkable fossils from thousands of years ago. But the itinerary will also take you to an incredible private project, something you could find only on this Island: a place where the owner decided, for the love of nature, to gather countless exotic species of birds.
Day 11: End of Itinerary
Transfer to the airport.
Price per diver | $5,202.00 |
Price per non diver | $3,948.60 |
Price per single diver | $7,478.80 |