Snorkeling World

  The Azores archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean, is made up of nine islands, and I've dived on five of them, and I can safely say it's probably the best snorkeling spot in Portugal. This archipelago is dominated by the lush green of its vegetation, as well as the clear blue of its seas, in a context where mass tourism remains relatively limited. Comparable to snorkeling in the Azores in Portugal, we can only mention Madeira or possibly the Berlengas Islands. The islands where I dived were: São Miguel, Terceira, Faial, Pico, and Santa Maria. We can say that the snorkeling on all of them is excellent and has some similarities. Snorkeling in the Azores is recommended mainly in the summer. I'd like to highlight Santa Maria Island, which is the southernmost and easternmost island and is therefore one of the only places in Europe where whale sharks have been spotted in the summer. Santa Maria Island has Baixa do Ambrósio, a prominent spot just off its coast, where devil r...

Anicha Rock is a rock located in front of Portinho da Arrábida beach, but on the side of Creiro Beach. You can swim to it if you're experienced and check the currents that day. I like to swim in the two hours before low tide, as the water is calmer, and since the point is still some distance away, the shallower water makes me feel safe. Kayaking is also a good option, and it's recommended at low tide to be able to park the kayak. At low tide, it is easy to park the kayak I really like kayaking from Figueirinha beach, more towards Setúbal, to Anicha Rock. It's about 2,800 meters by kayak, but it passes Galápos, Galapinhos, and Coelhos beaches, where you can stop for a swim or snorkeling. The scenery along the coast is magnificent Near Pedra da Anicha, the concentration of fish is very high, and the coastal side is very protected, resulting in excellent snorkeling conditions. Lots of fish near Anicha Stone Great underwater beauty Watch a video of snorkeling at this magnificen...

  I returned to Cape Verde after being there in 2022 on Sal Island. This time, I also started on Sal Island because I really liked it, but I decided to add Boa Vista Island. Boa Vista Island can be accessed by boat from Sal Island, and that's what we did. The crossing takes about three hours and was done overnight. Based on my research on Boa Vista Island, we snorkeled in three locations: Estoril Beach, the Islet of Djeu, and Gatas Beach. Estoril Beach: This beach is next to the island's main town, Sal Rei, in the heart of Sal Rei Bay. Due to the location's configuration with the islet in front of it—the islet of Sal Rei or Djeu—the waters are almost always calm. This offers unique conditions for several species, including juvenile sharks, and I saw a scalloped hammerhead for the first time. Islet of Djeu: Opposite Estoril beach is the islet of Sal Rei, also known as Djeu. Some boats operate as taxis to the site, but we opted to rent a kayak on the beach and head there, whi...