Reefwander
A school of triggerfish swims over the rocky seabed in the Berlengas marine reserve

Berlengas & Peniche · Portugal · Reef · Cave & cavern

Flandres

Sand, a small cavern and a broken wreck, all inside 15 m

Area photo: Tiago Thedim · CC BY-SA 4.0

Flandres is one of the gentler Berlengas dives: a shallow sandy bottom that leads to a small cave and the remains of a small wreck, all inside 15 metres. Portugal Dive rates it as a very easy and relaxed dive suited to divers of all experience levels, which on this archipelago is unusual. Bream shoal over the sand and octopus hold around the wreck.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Flandres: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

No published position for this site — the map shows Berlengas & Peniche and its other sites; operators know the mooring.

The dive

The dive commences on a shallow sandy area, which is where the boat puts you in and where the profile stays for the first stretch. There is little relief to work along here, so it functions as a settling-in leg: check the group, get used to the green Atlantic light, and follow the sand until the granite begins. Streaked gurnard sit on the bottom along this section, and schools of seabream and cowbream pass overhead.

From the sand the route progresses to a small cave. It sits shallow enough to stay in daylight but dark enough that a torch earns its place, and forkbeards are what you usually find inside it. Beyond the cave lies a small wreck, nothing that asks for penetration, and octopus are the animal to look for there, backed into the plating. With 15 metres as the maximum, the whole route runs well inside no-stop limits.

Marine life and season

  • Octopus & cuttlefish
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Flandres
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairOff-season

Season follows Berlengas & Peniche: June to October is the high season; from December to February the Atlantic swell allows diving only on occasional calm days.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Flandres?+

The maximum depth is 15 metres and much of the route is shallower than that, running over sand before it reaches a small cave and a small wreck. Portugal Dive describes it as a very easy and relaxed dive suited to divers of all experience levels.

Sources

  1. Flandres dive site — Portugal Dive
  2. Diving in Berlenga — Centre of Portugal

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