Baixa da Cruz

Black coral grows on the rock as divers work down a single volcanic cone off the bay of Machico, its peak near the surface above a sand base that operators place at slightly different depths further down. Partway down, a stand of whip coral takes over, a species more usually associated with warmer waters growing this far north. Barracuda pass along the flanks in loose schools, and rays often settle into the sand where the cone meets the bottom. Boats reach the site in about 25 minutes from Caniço de Baixo, heading east past Funchal's airport toward Machico.

Deeper on the cone, the whip coral is a species usually tied to warmer water than Madeira's, rare enough this far north that it is the site's own operator's headline description. The shallower stretch above carries its own coral cover down from the peak, and the same operator lists the dive for experienced divers only, run when wind and weather allow rather than on a fixed schedule.

Only dive Baixa da Cruz when your operator confirms conditions: it sits open to Atlantic swell off Machico and is pulled from the plan on marginal wind or weather days, so treat a booked slot here as tentative until the day's forecast is checked. Manta Diving Madeira and Haliotis both run boat trips here. Advanced Open Water reaches the shallow peak and the coral zone through about 20 metres; the full route to the sand base needs a Deep specialty or equivalent, and operators do not agree on exactly how deep that base runs. No marine-reserve status or permit fee applies at this site.