Cascais is a beach town in Greater Lisbon at the mouth of the Tagus, and its dive boats work the coast between Estoril and Cabo Raso. The diving is Atlantic reef at 6–30 m: the sea cave at Pombeira, the rocky recess of Boca do Inferno, the sheltered bay at Pedra da Nau and the gorges of Furada. The draw is temperate reef diving within easy reach of the capital, with boats out in every month.
About diving in Cascais & Cabo Raso
Diving here is a boat day. Boats run along the coast between Estoril and Cabo Raso, and most rides to the sites take 15–30 minutes. Most days run two or three dives, and the boat comes back to the centre between the first and the second. How deep each dive goes depends on the water conditions and on each diver's certification.
The seabed is rock and white sand. Rock outcrops rise between patches of sand, full of marine life, and the reefs are cut by small passages and large gorges. The Pombeira cave, surrounded by cliffs, has an underwater passage that is open to all divers, even the least experienced. Further out, at Tubos, a concrete structure and two huge tubes are covered in life.
It suits divers staying in Lisbon or along the Estoril coast who want a cool-water reef dive without a long transfer, and it suits newly certified divers. Open Water certification covers dives to 18 m, and Furada, at 18 m maximum, is open to all divers. Instructors guide every dive with no more than four divers each, and a private guide can be hired for a smaller group.
Best time to dive Cascais & Cabo Raso
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Boats run all year; the sea is coolest around March and warmest around September.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Dive types & marine life
The coast from Oeiras to Cascais holds sea bream, starfish, scorpionfish, toadfish, crabs, spider crabs and nudibranchs. All of them are regulars on the dives, and many other species turn up besides.
- Reef
- Cave & cavern
- Nudibranchs
Best dive sites in Cascais & Cabo Raso
- 1
Gruta da Pombeira
Sea cave ten minutes by boat from Cascais marina.
- 2
Boca do Inferno
Coastal dive from 9 m among gorges to 16 m, where the reef meets the sand.
- 3
Pedra da Nau
Protected bay with rock cutouts, about ten minutes by boat and suited to beginners.
- 4
Tubos
Concrete structure about a mile southwest of Guia, for experienced divers only.
- 5
Maria Alice
Reef extending southwest beyond the Pombeira cave, from 8 to 19 m.
- 6
Baía da Guia
Reef running southwest from the Guia lighthouse bay, from 5 to 14 m.
- 7
Furada
Site 500 m off the coast, cut by large gorges.
Site guides
Reef
Small passages through the reef top on the swim back to the sand
Countless nudibranchs below the rocky recess that names the site
Reef
Large gorges that look like the Sintra hills on a clear day
Reef
Sheltered bay where an undulate ray turns up on lucky days
Small-spotted catsharks on a rock-and-sand bottom at 24 m
Beach entry onto a reef split by cracks running out from the shore
Reef
Try-dive reef where nudibranchs, octopus and cuttlefish share 8 m of water
How to get to Cascais & Cabo Raso
Lisbon Airport is about 35 km from Cascais. CP Cascais Line trains run from Cais do Sodré station in Lisbon to Cascais. The dive centres are in Estoril and at the Clube Naval de Cascais, by the Cascais marina.
Dive videos
Mergulho no Cabo Raso, Cascais 3 · Antonio Lemos on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is diving in Cascais shore or boat?+
Boat. Boats run along the coast between Estoril and Cabo Raso, and most rides to the sites take 15–30 minutes.
Can beginners dive in Cascais?+
Yes. Pedra da Nau is a protected bay suited to beginners, and the Pombeira cave and Furada are open to all divers. Tubos, starting at 26 m, is for experienced divers only.
When is the best time to dive Cascais?+
Boats run all year. The water is coolest around March at about 15°C (59°F) and warmest around September at about 20°C (68°F).
How do I get to Cascais from Lisbon?+
Take the CP Cascais Line train from Cais do Sodré station in Lisbon to Cascais; the journey takes about 40 minutes. Lisbon Airport is about 35 km away.
Sources
- Cascais Dive Center FAQ — Cascais Dive Center
- Dive Calendar — BORK You
- CascaisDive on SSI — SSI
- Habisport Scubadiving — Yumping
- Haliotis Oeiras on PADI — PADI
- Cascais average sea temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Cascais — Wikivoyage
- Cascais Dive — Time Out
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