Reef
down to 18 m
Baía da Armação
One of the most sheltered coves of the Arrábida coast, 4-18 m, rated by the marine park as perfect for less experienced divers; morays and octopus hide in the rocks.
- Open Water
- Octopus
Sesimbra & Arrábida
Diving in Portugal
11 documented dive sites, 6 of them for Open Water divers. Known for crustaceans, cuttlefish and nudibranchs.
- Good months
- All year
- Water
- 13–20 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- LIS
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Sesimbra & Arrábida in October
Good season- Sea
- 18 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 23 °C
- 17 °C at night
- Rain
- 90 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 14 km/h
- on average
The warmest water of the year.
Exposure suit: 5 mm full suit · if you feel the cold: 7 mm full suit or 8/7 mm semi-dry. How we choose
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving is possible practically all year (water 13–20 °C); for the River Gurara wreck, summer is the best time, as winter conditions rarely allow it.
Dive sites in Sesimbra & Arrábida
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
In the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, diving is allowed everywhere except the Total Protection Area; organised groups need permission, and spearfishing and collecting are banned. Bifa, at the tip of Cabo Espichel, is dived only when the sea is ideal.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m6 sitesKelp forest
down to 18 m
Baleeira
A coastal reef at 11-18 m west of Sesimbra with several nudibranch species, red gurnards and brown-algae and kelp cover in summer.
- Open Water
- Nudibranchs
Kelp forest
down to 15 m
Pedra do Leão
A rock at 4-15 m with a passage lined with anemones, ascidians and sponges, home to cuttlefish, octopus, conger and morays.
- Open Water
- Stingrays
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m4 sitesReef
down to 20 m
Jardim das Gorgónias
A rocky ridge covered with gorgonians at 6-20 m with octopus and, with luck, a John Dory or sunfish.
- Advanced
- Mola mola (sunfish)
For experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m1 siteMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
Reported here, season not documented yet:
- Crustaceans
- Cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus
- Scorpionfish
- Conger eel
- Groupers
- Moray eels
- Dolphins
- Stingrays
- Mola mola (sunfish)
- Seahorses
- John dory
Where is Sesimbra & Arrábida?
- Nearest airport
- LIS
Sesimbra & Arrábida: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Sesimbra & Arrábida?
- Sesimbra & Arrábida can be dived all year round. Diving is possible practically all year (water 13–20 °C); for the River Gurara wreck, summer is the best time, as winter conditions rarely allow it.
- Is Sesimbra & Arrábida good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 6 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Baía da Armação, Baleeira and Pedra do Leão. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Sesimbra & Arrábida?
- The water is usually between 13 °C and 20 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Sesimbra & Arrábida?
- Divers regularly see crustaceans, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, octopus, scorpionfish and conger eel.
- How do you dive Sesimbra & Arrábida?
- The nearest airport is LIS.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash