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German-owned SSI/PADI dive centre at Luz Bay Club, Praia da Luz near Lagos, running shore and boat dives across the western Algarve since 1996.
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Ponta da Fisga
Also known as: Ingrina
A shore-and-boat cave passage near Praia da Ingrina, Sagres, crossing the headland from an inner bay to the open Atlantic at roughly 7-13m.
Last updated September 2026
The dive
Ponta da Fisga sits on a small headland west of Sagres, reached either by boat or by a shore swim of about 400 metres southeast along the rocks from Praia da Ingrina, the beach immediately north. The site's defining feature is a single passage: entering on the inner-bay side, the cave begins at roughly 10 metres, its exact start shifting with the tide, and runs through the headland to open water, bottoming out around 13 metres on the seaward side. No side chambers or additional tunnels have been recorded, so the crossing runs as a single, continuous passage from one side of the headland to the other. The beach access route passes close to the ruined Zavial Battery, a coastal fort that marks the walk down to the water.
What makes it special
Sagres holds more than one cave dive. Ponta da Fisga is the shallower of the two: a single corridor through the headland, without the stalactite chambers or the 24-metre depth of the area's boat-access cathedral cave, which is built around cave-certification courses. It is also the one reachable on a swim from shore, where the cathedral cave takes a boat only. The site is also known locally as Ingrina, after the beach it is entered from, and both names turn up for the same headland crossing.
Know before you go
Check the tide before attempting the shore entry: the inner-bay end of the passage is shallower or deeper depending on tide state, and the swim itself is the harder of the two approach options, boat access is easier. The passage is a genuine overhead environment despite its short length, so treat comfort with overhead diving at an Advanced Open Water level as an unconfirmed working guideline here, not a stated rule. Algarve's rocky crevice sites generally hold conger and moray, so give any holes in the rock a wide berth as you pass. No operator is currently confirmed to run this exact dive under either name, Ponta da Fisga or Ingrina.
Why Dive Ponta da Fisga
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Through-headland passage
A single cave crosses the point from an inner bay to open sea, roughly 7-13 m deep
- 400 m shore swim
Reached from Praia da Ingrina to the southeast, or more easily by boat
- Tide-dependent entry
The shallow inner-bay end of the passage shifts with the tide
- Near Zavial Battery
A ruined coastal fort sits by the access beach at Praia da Ingrina
Depth & Profile
7–13m
Depth range (reported)
7–13m
Typical range
Cave
Location
37.0442°N, 8.8758°W
Conditions & difficulty
Visibility
1–20m
Best season
March-May and September-November
Clearest water Algarve-wide; August is the coast's weakest month for visibility
ModerateMin cert: Advanced Open Water
No fixed minimum is published for this site; the Advanced Open Water grade is an unconfirmed, inferred guideline for overhead-environment comfort, not a stated requirement
Summary
Driven mainly by the overhead passage and tide-dependent entry; the shallow depth on its own would rate easier
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
- Overhead: A through-passage with a tide-dependent shallow end on the inner-bay sideCheck tide state before a shore-entry attempt; overhead-environment comfort is worth having before you go in
- Conditions: Algarve's rocky crevice sites commonly hold conger and moray eelsKeep hands and fingers clear of holes and cracks in the rock
Dive Centers
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Rules and permits
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ponta da Fisga the same dive as Sagres' cathedral cave?▾
No. The chambered, boat-access cave near Sagres runs to 24 metres and is built around cave-certification courses. Ponta da Fisga is a shallower single passage you can also reach by a shore swim, and the two are documented separately, with different depths and different access points.
How deep is the dive at Ponta da Fisga?▾
The reported depth is not consistent: about 7 metres by one figure, 10 to 13 metres for the passage itself, and 12 metres by another. Plan around that shallow range, 7 to 13 metres; none of the three figures overrides the others.
Can you dive Ponta da Fisga from the shore?▾
Yes. The usual route is a swim of about 400 metres from Praia da Ingrina, heading southeast along the rocks to the entrance. Boat access is available too, and is generally the easier of the two.
Does the tide affect diving at Ponta da Fisga?▾
Yes. The inner-bay end of the passage, the shallower side, changes with the tide state, so it is worth checking the tide before a shore-entry attempt.
What certification do you need for Ponta da Fisga?▾
No fixed minimum is published for this site. The grading to Advanced Open Water here comes from the overhead passage itself, so it works as a self-check: comfort with a short overhead crossing on a calm, low-swell day is the real bar, and a guide is worth having if that kind of profile is new to you.
Is Ponta da Fisga also known as Ingrina?▾
Yes, the site is commonly referred to by the name of its access beach, Praia da Ingrina, immediately to the north.
Is Ponta da Fisga inside a marine reserve?▾
That is unresolved. The Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina covers this stretch of coast, but its boundary against this exact headland has not been established, so marine-reserve status here is an open question rather than a confirmed no.
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