Azores, the best snorkeling in Portugal


 

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 rays are a constant presence.


Devil Rays in Baixa do Ambrósio

In fact, I love this island so much that I'm in the process of buying a house here so I can spend extended periods there.

A place that I also highlight next to the island of São Miguel, which is the largest, is the islet of Vila Franca do Campo.

Below are videos I made about snorkeling on the various islands of the Azores:


Santa Maria


Vila Franca Islet near São Miguel


Terceira


Faial


Pico


I'm also leaving here two thematic videos, about snorkeling with dolphins on Pico Island and about Devil Rays in Baixa do Ambrósio:


Snorkeling with Dolphins on Pico Island 


Devil Rays in Baixa do Ambrósio













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