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Diving Madeira
Diving Madeira

Tier 1 specialty

Wreck Diving in Madeira

Three wrecks define Madeira's wreck-diving offer: the Corveta Afonso Cerqueira (sunk intentionally as an artificial reef in 2018), the older Bowbelle on the south coast, and the Madeirense at Porto Santo. All are recreational depth, all need prerequisites beyond standard Open Water — operator policies vary; this guide tells you what to expect.

By Rui Mendes, PADI OWSI · Field-diver across all three wrecks

The three wrecks

Corveta Afonso Cerqueira (F488)

South Coast / Cabo Girão Marine Park · 12–33m · 85m length · sunk 2018 · OW+ with prereqs

The flagship. A decommissioned Portuguese Navy corvette, sunk intentionally in 2018 as an artificial reef in the Cabo Girão Marine Park. The hull sits upright on sand at ~30m depth; the deck is at ~15m, the bridge at ~22m, the engine room and cafeteria sections at ~25-30m. The boat was prepped specifically for diving — sealed openings were modified for safe penetration with proper certification.

What's special about it: the 2018 sinking is recent enough that you can see active reef colonisation in progress — coral, anemones, and small reef fish are establishing on what was previously sterile metal. The author was on the documentation project for the first three years; you can compare the current state to the photography record.

Penetration: certain sections are penetrable with a wreck specialty cert and recent experience. The engine room and cafeteria are the most-visited penetration sections; the captain's deck is shallower but tighter. Always go with an operator's wreck-trained guide, never solo penetrate.

See the full Corveta site profile →

Bowbelle / Bom Rei

Madalena do Mar · 21–32m · Advanced

Older wreck, deeper profile, less commonly run. The hull is broken in sections; some penetration is possible but less safe than the Corveta — operator guides only. Best for divers wanting a more exploratory, less curated experience than the Corveta.

See the Bowbelle site profile →

Madeirense (Porto Santo)

Porto Santo · 24–35m · Advanced

Side-trip wreck on Porto Santo island. Visibility here is regularly 40m+ on good days, making the photography exceptional. Reaching it requires either the ferry from Funchal (~2h crossing) or a flight (~15 min), plus an operator on Porto Santo. Plan a 2-3 day Porto Santo segment to make this worthwhile.

See the Madeirense site profile →

Prerequisites — before you book

Madeira's wrecks all sit at recreational depth (max ~33m) but operator policies have evolved over the years to require:

  • Advanced Open Water certification (PADI / SSI / equivalent). Some operators accept Open Water + 30+ logged dives in lieu of AOW; verify per operator.
  • Recent diving activity: most centres require 6+ logged dives in the last 12 months. If you've been out for a year+, plan a refresher / ScubaReview at the start of your trip.
  • Wreck specialty cert required for penetration. Some operators offer it as a 2-day add-on (~€225) — combine with the Corveta dives.
  • Nitrox cert recommended (not required) — the Corveta's deck-and-bridge profile lengthens with Nitrox 32, which is genuinely useful.

These are operator policies, not legal requirements. They exist because of insurance + safety record + lessons learned. Don't try to talk your way around them — a good operator will simply refuse, and a bad operator who lets you in is exactly the one you don't want to dive with.

Pick the right operator

Wreck diving is the area where operator choice matters most. Things to verify:

  • Wreck specialty instructor on staff, not just "we run wreck dives"
  • Penetration policy — the centre's specific rules, not vague PADI guidelines
  • Group size — 1:4 max for penetration; 1:6 fine for external-only
  • Safety equipment on the boat — emergency O2, first aid, deco buoys
  • Recent experience requirement they apply (so you know what they expect)

Operators we've audited as wreck-capable: Azul Diving Center, Madeira Divepoint, Haliotis Madeira. See the full dive centres directory.

Wreck-trip planning

4-day Madeira-only wreck trip:

  1. Day 1: refresher / Reactivate Diver if you've been out, or Garajau warm-up dives
  2. Day 2: Corveta dive 1 (external orientation, deck + bridge)
  3. Day 3: Corveta dive 2 (deeper sections, penetration if certified)
  4. Day 4: Bowbelle (different wreck, different profile)

+3 days Porto Santo extension:

  1. Ferry to Porto Santo
  2. Day 5: Madeirense + topside / beach
  3. Day 6: Cordeca + Madeirense second visit
  4. Day 7: ferry back, rest

Plan a wreck trip