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SSI-affiliated dive centre in Armação de Pêra, central Algarve, running small-group reef trips and citizen-science dives since 1997.
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2 Anchors
Also known as: Duas Ancoras, Two Anchors
A boat-access reef wall off Albufeira Marina, named for two anchor remains embedded in the drop-off; how deep the wall actually runs is not settled.
Last updated September 2026
The dive
A boat drop lands divers on a rocky wall that falls away from Albufeira's open coast, with cracks, small overhangs and sheltered holes running down to a sandy base. Two anchor remains embedded in that drop-off give the site its name. The route is consistent: follow the wall face down, work the sand at the bottom, then turn back for the boat. How far down the wall actually goes is less settled. One catalogue puts the maximum at 15 metres; three others converge on 18 to 24 metres instead. Nothing closes that gap, so confirm the day's planned depth with whoever runs the trip.
Octopus, conger eel and cuttlefish show up on repeat along this wall, working its cracks and overhangs. Wrasse, seabream, moray eels and small crustaceans are named too, but each by a single source only; treat them as a lighter bet, not a given.
What makes it special
2 Anchors is not a marquee stop on Albufeira's dive calendar. No dive centre currently advertises it among its regular trips, and it sits outside the online conversation that surrounds this coast's better-known reefs. What it does have is a genuinely unresolved number: the maximum depth here is disputed, not just rounded differently. It is also the one reef in this stretch of coast that sits outside the Pedra do Valado marine park, about 0.4 kilometres east of the park's eastern limit at Albufeira Marina, unlike six neighbouring reefs along the same sector, which sit inside it.
Know before you go
Boat traffic is the one named hazard here: stay close to your guide's line and listen for engine noise as you near the surface. The crossing itself can be choppy in open-Atlantic swell, so take your seasickness precautions before the boat leaves Albufeira Marina. A 7mm wetsuit with hood, gloves and boots is the standard recommendation for this coast year-round, and visibility on an average day sits at 3 to 8 metres. A 20-metre day happens here, but it is the exception to plan around, not the baseline.
Why Dive 2 Anchors
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Two anchor remains
The reef wall's namesake feature, embedded in the drop-off toward sand
- Contested maximum depth
Reported readings for the wall's maximum vary by close to ten metres
- Outside the marine park
Sits about 0.4 km east of Pedra do Valado's boundary, unlike six neighbours
- Boat traffic overhead
Named site condition; stay close to your guide near the surface
Depth & Profile
15–24m
Depth range (reported)
15–24m
Typical range
ReefWallRockSand
Location
37.0731°N, 8.2613°W
Conditions & difficulty
Visibility
3–8m
Best season
March-May, September-November
The clearer, milder months area-wide; this site's own catalogue entry agrees.
EasyMin cert: Advanced Open Water
No operator or authority states a minimum certification for this site. Catalogues rate it beginner, which holds if the shallower 15-metre reading is the real maximum; but the 18-24 metre reading three other catalogues converge on passes the 18-metre Open Water ceiling, so Advanced Open Water is the better-graded minimum to bring until your operator confirms which figure applies on the day.
Summary
A straightforward wall to follow down to sand, with no current beyond the odd passing boat; that holds true at the shallower 15-metre reading. The contested deeper reading (18-24 m) is a depth-planning question, not a navigation one, so it changes what certification to bring, not the difficulty grade.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
- Surface and boat traffic: Boat traffic is named as a specific site condition on this stretch of open Atlantic coast.Stay close to your guide's line and listen for engine noise as you near the surface.
- Surface and boat traffic: Open-Atlantic swell and an occasional choppy crossing are typical here.Take standard seasickness precautions before the boat leaves the marina.
Marine Life
Common cuttlefishSepia officinalisCommon octopusOctopus vulgarisEuropean congerConger conger
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Easydivers
PADI and SSI Instructor Training Center in Albufeira Marina, running daily boat dives, courses to professional level, and ART Reef by Vhils tours.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How deep is 2 Anchors?▾
That depends on which source you check. One database import lists a 15-metre maximum, while three independently fetched catalogues put the deepest point between 18 and 24 metres instead. No source resolves the gap, so treat both figures as live until your operator confirms the plan for the day.
Do I need Advanced Open Water to dive 2 Anchors?▾
Advanced Open Water is the better-graded minimum to bring, though no operator or authority states a requirement outright. The dive itself is rated easy, and that rating holds at the shallower 15-metre reading; but reported depths for this site spread as far as 24 metres, and the top of that range sits past where Open Water training typically stops. Ask your operator which depth they're planning for the day, and let that decide what certification you bring.
Is 2 Anchors inside the Pedra do Valado marine park?▾
No. Coordinate checks place it about 0.4 kilometres east of the park's eastern boundary at Albufeira Marina, just outside the protected area, the one exception among six neighbouring reefs in the same sector, which do sit inside it. No marine-reserve rule, permit or fee specific to this site has turned up.
Which dive centre runs trips to 2 Anchors?▾
None currently advertises it as a regular stop. A recent catalogue entry for the site states plainly that no shop covers it yet. Ask directly if you want it added to a charter.
How do I get to 2 Anchors?▾
By boat only, departing Albufeira Marina; no source describes a shore-entry option. A specific travel time to the site hasn't been confirmed, so check the day's run time with your boat operator.
What might I see diving 2 Anchors?▾
Octopus, conger eel and cuttlefish show up on repeat, usually tucked into the wall's cracks and overhangs. Wrasse, seabream, moray eels and small crustaceans are named too, but each by a single source only, so treat them as a possible bonus rather than a given.
Where do the anchors at 2 Anchors come from?▾
The reef takes its name from two anchor remains embedded in the wall. No maritime record, salvage report or local history account explains their age or how they ended up there; they're known only by their presence on the reef, not by any documented history.
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