Porto Santo · Portugal · Cave & cavern
Ilhéu de Cima Cave
A small cave off the islet, from 15 m down to 25 m
Area photo: Portuguese_eyes · CC BY-SA 2.0
A small cave off Ilhéu de Cima, the islet east of Porto Santo. The dive starts at 15 m and can reach 25 m, normally without current and very sheltered from the prevailing winds, with visibility between 15 and 20 m. Rays, jacks, groupers and morays are on the outside, and the darker ground holds giant anemones, shrimps and the greater locust lobster.
Where it is and how deep
33.0521° N, 16.2781° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is the cave itself, which is small, and the dive around it runs from 15 m at the start down to 25 m at its deepest. Conditions are the reason it is dependable: normally there is no current at all and the position is very sheltered from the prevailing winds, so the islet works even when the exposed sites are off. Visibility sits between 15 and 20 m, tighter than on the wrecks but enough to keep the entrance and the group in sight.
Around the rock are rays, jacks, groupers and morays, along with red hogfish, larger forkbeard and several species of bream. Closer in and out of the light the ground changes character: giant anemones, shrimps and the greater locust lobster, which is the sort of thing worth carrying a torch for even on a bright day. The shallower end of the range gives somewhere to finish once the deeper part is done.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Porto Santo: Diving runs all year. July to October holds the warmest water, logged at 22–23°C, February logs the lowest visibility, and the island's rain falls in winter.
Know before you go
- The cave is an overhead. It is small, but light and buoyancy discipline still matter, and the dive reaches 25 m, so it is not one to enter on a marginal gas plan.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Ilhéu de Cima cave dive?+
The dive starts at 15 m and can reach 25 m. Visibility is usually between 15 and 20 m and there is normally no current at all.
Sources
- Ilhéu de Cima Cave — Scubago
More dive sites in Porto Santo
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Porto Santo's deepest dive, on a cargo boat sunk in 2000
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A 15 m to 33 m wall, run only when the current allows
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Rock from 7 m to stone walls at 30 m, near Ilhéu da Cal
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Easy reef from 8 m on the rock to 22 m on the sand
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