Madeira · Portugal · Wall · Reef
Parede do Silva
A wall that reaches the surface, sloping to 25 m
Area photo: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY 3.0
A wall off the eastern end of Madeira that rises all the way to the surface, with a bottom descending gently to 25 metres between large and small rocks. There is one depth limit and one direction of slope, which makes it among the simpler sites on the island to plan and an easy one to cut short.
Where it is and how deep
32.7346° N, 16.6768° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wall comes up to the surface, which is useful in practice: there is no descent line to find and no mid-water ascent at the end, because the rock is alongside you the whole way up. The bottom falls away gently rather than in a step, so you choose your depth by how far down the slope you go, and it reaches 25 metres at the deepest.
Between the top and the bottom the ground is broken rock — large and small blocks rather than a clean vertical face — so the dive is a matter of working along it and looking into the gaps. Twenty-five metres is the deepest the slope goes, which keeps the whole profile inside no-decompression limits with room to spare and leaves plenty of gas for a long shallow return along the top of the wall.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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
- Parede do Silva - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Madeira
Reef
Three minutes from Santa Cruz to 25-metre rock
Pinnacle
A 3-metre peak that drops to 35 on sand
Easy 2-metre entry, small wreck off the point
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A tunnel in at 8 metres, out at 18
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Amphitheatre reef in the underwater park, 10–24 m
Reef
An entrance at 8 metres, an exit at 18
Pinnacle
Twin volcanic pinnacles from 30 m up to 12 m
Reef
Volcanic caves and coral blocks inside 18 metres
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