Algarve · Portugal · Reef

Âncoras

Anchors from three centuries jammed in the rock

An archaeological dive site next to Ponta da Piedade, on a rock formation holding anchors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Ships moored off the headland in those years and at times had to leave anchors behind when they jammed in the holes in the rock. Maximum depth is 17 m, and divers can swim between the formations.

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Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Âncoras: typical dive to 17 m (to 56 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit17 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

37.0779° N, 8.6631° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

The site is a rock formation off Ponta da Piedade with a maximum depth of 17 m, and the dive is a slow search rather than a route. The draw is the anchors: iron from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries left where it fouled, and the appeal of the place is as much the reading of it as the seeing, since each one marks a ship that gave up on getting its gear back.

The formation itself carries the second half of the dive. There are gaps to swim between in the rock, which is what makes the site hold attention beyond the archaeology, and working the passages between the blocks is the natural way to cover the ground. Depth stays inside recreational range throughout, so bottom time is generous for a careful look.

Background

Ponta da Piedade was an anchorage. Through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries a great many ships moored off the headland here, and time and again their anchors jammed in the holes of this rock formation and had to be abandoned. What is left is an accumulation of iron across three centuries of shipping, lying where it was cut loose.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Âncoras
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonFairGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairOff-season

Season follows Algarve: May–Oct is the settled season with the clearest water; Atlantic swell and cold water shut most operations over winter.

Questions divers ask

What is there to see at Âncoras?+

Anchors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, left in the rock by ships that moored off Ponta da Piedade and could not free them, plus the rock formations themselves, which divers can swim between.

Sources

  1. Âncoras — Scubago
  2. WeDive Lagos — dive sites — WeDive Lagos

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