Berlengas Islands
Algarve · Portugal
The Berlengas are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve archipelago rising from the cold Atlantic 12 kilometres off Peniche, their granite foundations plunging through kelp forests to boulder fields and narrow tunnels at 30 metres. The cold upwelling here drives extraordinary productivity — conger eels of 1.5 metres occupy every crevice, wreckfish hover in the mid-water, and large schools of atlantic horse mackerel sweep through the channels. Strong surge in winter concentrates the experience into the calmer summer window, when visibility can exceed 20 metres through gin-clear Atlantic water.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 25 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
13 to 22°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Strong |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Carbonell’S Wall Lizard
Last confirmed Jun 7, 2026 · 102 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
European Shag
Last confirmed May 22, 2026 · 51 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Northern Gannet
Last confirmed Jul 2, 2026 · 30 records
Very likely
Most dives
Ruddy Turnstone
Last confirmed Apr 19, 2026 · 22 records
Very likely
Most dives
Spiny Starfish
Last confirmed Dec 28, 2025 · 38 records
Very likely
Most dives
Ballan Wrasse
Last confirmed Aug 24, 2025 · 13 records
Very likely
Most dives
Conger Eel
Last confirmed Jun 1, 2025 · 4 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Wreckfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear