Farilhão da Cova

The dive typically begins on the eastern side of the rock, near a shallow cave at 5 metres inhabited by gorgonians. That opening is the orientation point for the whole route and it sits bright enough to work without much light. From there divers proceed westward with the wall on their right, the average depth settling around 10 metres and the maximum for the site at 16, so the profile is flat and the bottom time long.

Further west a second cave appears, and it does something unusual: fresh water sits on the ceiling without mixing into the salt water below, so the boundary shimmers when you look up into it. Entry is not recommended, because visibility inside is poor, so it is read from the mouth. Past it the ground opens into canyons decorated with gorgonians, and that is where the rest of the dive is spent before the ascent.