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
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