- Only 20m to the entrance + small snorkel tour
- Depth: 5 to 25m approx.
- Type of dive site: arena shaped reef with tunnel
- Suitable for: Beginners and experienced divers
Why go far away when the good stuff is so close ...
Passing the big gold sponge, with many trumpet fish and schools of bream, you float into the “amphitheatre” arena. The reef is also located directly in the underwater nature reserve and offers an atmospheric backdrop with its imposing rock formation and light-flooded 10 m long tunnel. In addition, this dive site surprises with a large cascade on the outside, from which you have a great view. This dive site is home to a wide variety of species, with lots of schooling fish, trumpet fish, Micronesian groupers, barracudas, mackerels, locust and reef lobsters, moray eels and sting rays, etc.
“My absolute favorite dive site on Madeira is the Arena. Strictly speaking, it actually consists of two dive sites. But whether you descend through the opening in the reef roof and follow the tunnel down to the Arena, or approach it from open water, the true highlight for me is always the spectacular volcanic rock formations.
With their massive arches, walls, and structures, they look to me every single time like an enormous amphitheater built by human hands, hidden beneath the sea. It is a place that inspires awe and reveals a very special atmosphere on every single dive, no matter how often you return.”
Thomas Heckmann
Photographing since 1992
German Underwater Photography Champion Former member of the German National Team
Winner of more than 100 national and international photo competitions such as World Shootout, Underwater Photographer of the Year, and Kamera Louis Boutan
