The Garajau Maritime Natural Reserve, which is considered to be one of the world’s main amateur diving destinations, in 2005 issued over 3,000 diving licenses, 75 percent of which were requested by tourists.

This Natural Reserve has some characteristics that make it competitively advantageous. The low depth at which some of the most sought-after species can be found, such as the grouper and the fact that divers can access diving sites from land are some of the factors that make a difference. The passivity of the fish which, since 1985, became used to the divers is also an attraction which makes it possible to swim between the fish and provides the best opportunities for underwater photography.

An increasing number of tourists have been using Madeira as a diving destination in several areas, the most popular of which are Garajau Maritime Natural Reserve, Machico coastal area, Lido and Porto Santo Island which has an artificial reef created in 2000 by sinking the ship “Madeirense”.
Taking into account this new reality, the Madeira Regional Government is preparing a legal framework to attract and encourage diving as leisure, scientific and tourism activity, thus creating another competitiveness factor for Madeira Islands.

Source: Madeira Tourism Board – Newsletter May