Berlengas - Estelas
Also known as: Estelas (Berlengas Archipelago), Mula, Estelas
The Berlengas archipelago's outer Estelas islet group off Peniche, a granite riff sold as a shared boat trip across several distinct points.
Last updated September 2026
The dive
Estelas is not a single dive. It is one of the Berlengas archipelago's three named rock and islet groups, alongside Berlenga Grande and Farilhões-Forcadas, a rockier granite riff roughly 10km (6-7 miles) west of Peniche harbour and reached only by boat. Local operators sell it as a shared destination, not one profile: AcuaSubOeste books it on the same two-dive "Berlenga and Estelas" tab it uses for Berlenga Grande itself, not the pricier trip out to Farilhões. Inside the group sit several separately named points, and a booking on that tab does not by itself specify which one you get. One of them, a stepped reef carrying the 1921 wreck Maroudi Inglessi down to about 40 metres, is corroborated well enough to have its own listing, Baixa do Broeiro.
What makes it special
Operator sites, catalogues and community threads near Peniche and the Berlengas use one name for this location, and it is not "Mula": every one of them writes "Estelas". The name most likely confuses Pedra da Mula, a site near Sesimbra on a different stretch of the Portuguese coast, with the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, the archipelago's own signature summer encounter. Estelas itself, including in the Spanish-language listings of the same local operator, always names the location, never one specific dive. Compare that with the reserve's other multi-point cluster, the cave-tunnel-bay route at Cova do Sono, which holds its named landmarks inside one connected route. Estelas spreads the same idea across a whole islet group instead, linked only by a shared boat tab.
Know before you go
Estelas lies within the same protected reserve as the rest of the archipelago. Its one published visitor cap is disputed: Portaria 355/2019 sets it at 550 people on Berlenga Grande's land area at a time, though a lower figure of 350 still circulates in current listings; neither figure covers a boat-only visit to the outer groups. Expect the same seasonal water temperature as elsewhere in the reserve, 16-20C from June to October and around 15C the rest of the year, with a 7mm wetsuit or semi-dry suit in summer and semi-dry or dry outside it.
Why Dive Berlengas - Estelas
What makes this dive site stand out.
- A rock and islet group
One of the Berlengas archipelago's three named groups, sold as a shared trip, not one dive
- Priced like Berlenga Grande
AcuaSubOeste books it on the same two-dive tab as Berlenga Grande, EUR85
- Documented wreck inside it
Baixa do Broeiro, the 1921 wreck Maroudi Inglessi, is catalogued as its own dive
- A rockier riff offshore
Roughly 10km (6-7 miles) west of Peniche harbour, more exposed than Berlenga Grande
- One unconfirmed depth record
The only depth on file, about 20m, traces to a single zero-review catalog entry
Depth & Profile
Location
39.4233°N, 9.5315°W
Conditions & difficulty
Weather, not a legal closure, limits diving from December to February; a few recent community accounts describe the wider reserve as effectively summer-only
No stand-alone per-site fee found. AcuaSubOeste books it on the two-dive 'Berlenga and Estelas' tab, EUR85 per person, tanks of 12L or 15L, the same price band as its Berlenga Grande trips. The separate Farilhões trip, further out, costs EUR95.
No operator states a minimum for the general Estelas trip. This sits well short of the deep wreck point inside the group, Baixa do Broeiro, which needs a deep-diving certification on its own listing; Advanced Open Water is the safer floor for a group entry that covers points of varying depth.
Rated 'Intermediate' by the single catalog record this entry was built from, a rating no other source repeats. The group's price tier matches the calmer Berlenga Grande trips rather than the pricier Farilhões outing, though individual named points inside it, like the wreck dive, run harder.
Rules and permits
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a dive site at Berlengas called Mula?▾
No source found across two research passes, covering operator sites, catalogues and community threads, names a dive point called Mula anywhere near Peniche or the Berlengas archipelago. The name most likely confuses Pedra da Mula, a site near Sesimbra on a different stretch of the Portuguese coast, with the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, the archipelago's own signature summer encounter. The name genuinely used here is Estelas, and it names the location, not a single dive.
Is Estelas one dive or several?▾
Several. Estelas is one of the Berlengas archipelago's three named rock and islet groups, and operators sell it as a shared boat destination, not a single profile. One point inside it, a stepped reef carrying the 1921 wreck Maroudi Inglessi, is corroborated well enough to have its own separate listing; other named points inside the group are documented less consistently and are not detailed here.
Which point does a trip to Estelas actually dive?▾
AcuaSubOeste's 'Berlenga and Estelas' tab books the group as a shared destination rather than one named point, so a booking does not by itself specify which spot you dive. Baixa do Broeiro, the 1921 wreck, is the one point inside the group sold and documented as its own separate site, and the only one you can ask for by name.
What does a boat trip to Estelas cost?▾
AcuaSubOeste books Estelas on its two-dive 'Berlenga and Estelas' tab at EUR85 per person, with 12L or 15L tanks, the same price band as its Berlenga Grande trips. The separate Farilhões trip, further out, costs EUR95.
Is Estelas inside a protected reserve?▾
Yes. It lies inside the Reserva Natural das Berlengas, designated in 1981 and recognised as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 2011.
Is there a limit on how many divers can visit the reserve?▾
The only published figure, Portaria 355/2019, sets a cap of 550 people at a time on Berlenga Grande's land area. A lower figure of 350 still circulates in some current listings and has not been confirmed against the official decree. Neither figure is published for a boat-only visit to the outer groups, including Estelas.
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