Porto Novo

Porto Novo is a beginner-accessible dive site on Madeira's coast — a relatively protected dive location that offers easy entry and comfortable conditions for less experienced divers exploring the volcanic reef ecosystem of this remarkable North Atlantic island. The site is likely named for a small harbor or bay of the 'new port' tradition common in Portuguese coastal naming, and its sheltered character reflects the protected position that makes it suitable for beginners building their open-water experience in Madeiran conditions. The volcanic reef at Porto Novo provides the characteristic lava formations of Madeira's coastline at accessible depths, with the encrusting and reef community typical of the island's protected southern coast zone. Large schools of bream and salema porgy orbit the lava formations in the characteristic loose formations of Atlantic schooling fish. Wrasse species — rainbow wrasse in their vivid adult coloration and various supporting species — work the rocky surfaces continuously. The Mediterranean moray eels that inhabit the crevices of Madeiran lava reefs are reliably encountered at Porto Novo, their robust forms and characteristic head positioning making them one of the site's most interesting photographic subjects. The Madeiran chromis, endemic to the Macaronesian archipelago, forms characteristic hovering groups above the reef. Various damselfish defend territories on the lava surface. The occasional blue-spotted ray rests on sandy patches between lava formations. The clear blue Atlantic water of Madeira's south coast and the volcanic character of the reef create an underwater landscape that is distinctively Madeiran — different from both tropical reef and northern European cold-water diving in character and species composition.