Madeira · Portugal · Reef
Baixa da Pitanga
Three minutes from Santa Cruz to 25-metre rock
Area photo: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY 3.0
A boat dive three minutes out of Santa Cruz on the east of the island, close in to the coastline, where large rocks run underwater to a maximum of 25 metres. The centre runs scuba, snorkelling and try-dives on it, and the short run makes it a practical first or second dive of a morning. Anemones, shrimps and spider crabs are the small life on the rock.
Where it is and how deep
32.6761° N, 16.7986° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is a quick one to reach. Boats leave Santa Cruz and are over the site inside three minutes, so it fits a two-dive morning without a crossing worth planning around. Underwater the ground is large rock running down close to the coastline and bottoming out at 25 metres, which puts the profile squarely inside recreational planning.
Work the deep end of the rock first and spend the rest of the time coming back up through the shallower blocks towards the coast. There is a lot of small life on the stone — anemones, white shrimps and spider crabs — and schools of fish hold around the site itself, which is why the same rock takes snorkellers and try-dives as well as certified divers.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Madeira: Jun–Sep brings the warmest water and best odds of manta rays around the Desertas; diving continues year-round but cooler and rougher in winter.
Sources
- Baixa da Pitanga - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Madeira
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Amphitheatre reef in the underwater park, 10–24 m
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Volcanic caves and coral blocks inside 18 metres
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An entrance at 8 metres, an exit at 18
Pinnacle
A 3-metre peak that drops to 35 on sand
Steps at the Lido to a 5-to-18-metre fall
Pinnacle
Twin volcanic pinnacles from 30 m up to 12 m
Wall
A wall that reaches the surface, sloping to 25 m
Cave & cavern
A tunnel in at 8 metres, out at 18
Similar dives elsewhere
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Lava formations stepping from 12 m to a 45 m bottom
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A reef edge at 7 m that steps down to past 40 m
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