Azores · Portugal · Reef · Cave & cavern
Arcos da Caloura
Four rock arches at 16 metres in a sheltered bay
A sheltered site in the small bay of Caloura, 300 metres off a volcanic sand beach. The reef top is at 5 metres and the ground falls away to 20, and at 16 metres four arches cut through the rock — they are what the dive is built around. Small reef fish and blennies hold on the stone throughout.
Where it is and how deep
37.7107° N, 25.5167° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The top of the reef starts at 5 metres, so the descent is short and the shallow rock is dived on the way out or kept for the end rather than skipped. From there the ground falls away to a maximum of 20 metres, and the route runs down the rock to the arches: four of them, cut through the reef at 16 metres, and the reason boats come to this corner of the bay at all.
Around the arches the rock holds the small stuff. Canary damsel, salema, rainbow and ornate wrasse and Azores chromis work the water just off the reef, while rock-pool, rusty and redlip blennies, red scorpionfish and Madeira rockfish sit tight on the stone and take finding. The bay is a small and enclosed one, which makes this a slow dive rather than a swim across ground.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Azores: June to September is the settled season and August into October the clearest water; diving carries on through winter in a 7-10mm or dry suit when swell allows.
Dive videos
Arcos da Caloura Reef · arcosdacaloura on YouTube
Mergulho Ilha São Miguel Arcos da Caloura · Mario Cardoso on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep are the arches at Arcos da Caloura?+
The four arches are at 16 metres, inside Open Water limits. The reef top above them starts at 5 metres and the ground below runs to a maximum of 20, which is past the 18 m Open Water limit and needs AOW or equivalent.
Sources
- Arcos da caloura — Scubago
More dive sites in Azores
Reef
A volcanic arch to swim through on a reef topping out at 7 m
Wreck
A 130-metre Liberty ship broken open in shallow water
A shore-divable reef of arches and sand from 4 to 20 m
A sheltered sand bottom five minutes from the marina
Passages in the wall of a protected volcanic islet
Pinnacle
A pinnacle topping out at 26 metres with walls to 45
A north-coast volcanic wall running to 35 metres
Reef
Two parallel walls sheltering a reef from 5 to 18 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Volcanic caves and coral blocks inside 18 metres
Three cannons and ammunition on the seabed at about 20 m
Sand, a small cavern and a broken wreck, all inside 15 m
A false ceiling right around a 10 m shoal off Corralejo