Atlantic · Portugal
Azores — Flores & Corvo
About a dozen dusky groupers at once in Corvo's voluntary reserve
Flores and Corvo, two volcanic islands, form the western group of the Azores. The draw is Caneiro dos Meros off Corvo, a voluntary reserve agreed between fishermen and divers where about a dozen dusky groupers can be dived with at once. Off Flores, the Amigo and Morro reefs bring schools of pelagic fish, and Gruta do Galo is a cavern dive. Most dives run from 12 to 40 m, by boat and from shore.
About diving in Azores — Flores & Corvo
Diving on Flores mixes shore dives with boat dives. Ponta da Caveira, in a sheltered bay, is about 5 minutes by boat from the harbour at Santa Cruz, and Baixa do Amigo lies about 200 m off Lomba harbour. Boats also motor up the east coast to the islet of Ilhéu do Garajau. Corvo's sites can be dived on a day trip from Flores, which can pair the marine reserve with a tour of the island's caldera.
The seabed is volcanic. At Ponta da Caveira a vertical wall facing east is cut by crevices and caves left by large lava tubes, where conger eels, moray eels and forkbeards hide. The Amigo and Morro reefs draw schools of yellowmouth barracuda, almaco jacks and white trevally, and Baixa do Amigo adds barred hogfish, sea chub and bonito, with stingrays in its sandy areas. At Caneiro dos Meros the wall of the last ravine drops to a sandy floor where large dusky groupers and barred hogfish are seen.
Caneiro dos Meros sits close to the quay and out of strong currents, but its depth limits it to experienced divers, and Baixa do Morro has currents most of the time that less experienced divers find overly challenging. Newer divers have Ponta da Caveira, with weak current and a gentle depth that suit a first dive on the island, a try dive or a night dive, though rip currents can sometimes run there. When the smaller operators on Flores are booked, operators based on Faial may offer trips to Flores.
Best time to dive Azores — Flores & Corvo
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
In spring the water carries large amounts of nutrients and turns slightly green. June to September is the best time of year to dive the Azores. The ferry between Flores and Corvo runs daily in summer and gets very busy. Visibility is at its best from August into September or October. In winter strong winds blow and the ferry sails only when the weather allows.
Dive types & marine life
Dusky groupers gather at Caneiro dos Meros, where it is possible to dive with about a dozen of them at one time. Manta rays are worth watching for at Baixa do Amigo during the summer months.
- Pelagic & blue water
- Wall
- Cave & cavern
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Manta rays
- Stingrays
Best dive sites in Azores — Flores & Corvo
- 1
Caneiro dos Meros
Corvo's voluntary reserve, with about a dozen friendly dusky groupers at once
- 2
Baixa do Amigo
Reef off Lomba harbour from 15 to 40 m with schooling jacks, trevally and barracuda
- 3
Gruta do Galo
Cavern with two entrances, open to the surface at around 12–15 m
- 4
Baixa do Morro
Submerged volcanic cone off the south coast, rising from a 60 m floor
- 5
Ponta da Caveira
Sheltered wall near Santa Cruz around 17 m deep, suited to first dives and night dives
Site guides
Pelagic & blue water
Almaco jacks and barracuda hunting clouds of blue jack mackerel
Pinnacle
A drowned volcanic cone rising to within 6 m of the surface
More than a dozen dusky groupers around divers at once
Cave & cavern
A cave with two entrances guarded by unusually large trevally
Wall
A reef wall that splits the islet into a sheltered side and an exposed one
Pinnacle
A Corvo reef rising from deep water almost to the surface
Wall
Lava-tube caves hiding conger eels and moray eels
How to get to Azores — Flores & Corvo
Flores Airport sits beside Santa Cruz das Flores, with SATA Air Açores flights from São Miguel, Terceira, Faial and Corvo. Corvo is a 45-minute ferry ride from Flores, daily in summer and twice a week in winter, or a 15-minute flight. Boats leave from Santa Cruz.
Dive videos
Flores island Azores scuba diving | Discovering an amazing world · Carlos Delgado on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Caneiro dos Meros grouper dive need?+
The site is close to the quay and out of strong currents, but it is recommended only for experienced divers because the wall drops to sand at 40–45 m.
Can Corvo be dived from Flores?+
Yes. Corvo's sites, including the Caneiro dos Meros reserve, can be dived on a day trip by boat from Flores. Corvo is also a 45-minute ferry ride, daily in summer and twice a week in winter, or a 15-minute flight.
When is the best month to dive Flores and Corvo?+
June to September is the best time to dive, and the clearest water runs from August into September or October. In spring the water carries nutrients that turn it slightly green.
Is there easy diving on Flores for newer divers?+
Ponta da Caveira, 5 minutes by boat from Santa Cruz, has weak current and a depth around 17 m, and is used for first dives on the island, try dives and night dives.
Sources
- Caneiro dos Meros — Visit Azores
- Diving South Flores Island — Just Gotta Dive
- Ponta da Caveira — byAçores
- Gruta do Galo — byAçores
- Corvo diving — Visit Azores
- Flores diving — Visit Azores
- Getting Outside on Flores — Scuba Diver Life
- When to dive — Visit Azores
- Flores (Azores) — Wikivoyage
- Corvo — Wikivoyage
- Flores weather by month — weather2travel
- Corvo Natural Park — Azores Regional Government
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