Algarve · Portugal · Wall · Reef
Cortinas
A rock wall of troughs, worked with a torch
A reef wall fifteen minutes from the dock, with a rocky configuration cut by troughs and a maximum depth of 15 to 16 m depending on which operator you ask. It is a torch dive: conger eels, large spider crabs, rays and a wide range of nudibranchs are what divers come here to find.
0Where it is and how deep
37.0735° N, 8.6796° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a reef wall with a rocky configuration and dive troughs cut into it, bottoming out at 15 to 16 m. That is shallow enough to spend the whole dive on the structure, and the troughs give the route its shape: you follow one along, come up over the rock, drop into the next, and keep working the wall in that pattern rather than swimming a straight line past it.
Take a torch, because most of what is worth stopping for is back in the rock. Conger eels hold in the holes, big spider crabs sit out on the rock, and rays are among the things divers report from the site. Nudibranchs are the other reason to come — a lot of different species are recorded here, and finding them means going slowly along the same few metres of wall with the light on.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Algarve: May–Oct is the settled season with the clearest water; Atlantic swell and cold water shut most operations over winter.
Know before you go
- The interest is inside crevices in the wall, so a torch is not optional if you want to see conger eels and nudibranchs rather than swim past them.
Questions divers ask
What will I see at Cortinas?+
Conger eels and large spider crabs in the rock, rays around the wall, and a wide range of nudibranchs. A torch is recommended, since most of it is tucked into the crevices.
Sources
- Cortinas — Scubago
- WeDive Lagos — dive sites — WeDive Lagos
More dive sites in Algarve
A Portuguese Navy frigate, 102.7 m, sunk in 30 m off Portimão
Reef
Anchors from three centuries jammed in the rock
Cave & cavern
Linked tunnel passages under the Ponta da Piedade rock
Reef
Sheltered rock in 5 to 12 m, ten minutes out
Porous rock wall packed with conger and moray holes
Wall
Canyons between big stones off Porto de Mós
Wall
A south-facing wall under multi-coloured gorgonians
Wreck
A five-bladed propeller in the middle of a broken trawler
Similar dives elsewhere
Wall
Ilhéu de Vila Franca
Azores · Portugal
Passages in the wall of a protected volcanic islet
A drop-off from 20 m and a swim-through at the 6 m stop
Wall
Astillero
San Sebastián & Getaria · Spain
A rock arch and lobster-filled caves on a deep north wall
Three wrecks and a sunfish cleaning station around one shoal