Luxury Diving Holidays in Pico

Best time to visit

July-October
Marine Highlights

Schooling mobula, mako sharks, blue sharks, baitballs, conger eels, stingrays
Difficulty

Beginner-Advanced

Overview

Pico is one of the Azores’ most iconic islands, with its UNESCO world heritage basalt vineyards and the perfect conical volcano silhouetted in the middle of the island. This gem of an island gives visitors a feel for rural Azores and is an area of true natural beauty. Diving holidays in Pico are great for families and couples in particular as there is a great mix of easy-to-dive local sites and more thrilling offshore excursions. The best dive sites are accessed from the north of the island, with the ragged coastline leaving plenty of inlets filled with abundant marine life. Diving holidays in Pico are great to combine with a visit to Sao Miguel or Santa Maria for those interested in island-hopping.

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Slipper lobster

Pico

Wine museum

Reef octopus

Blue shark

In Depth

Scuba diving from Pico showcases some of the loveliest shore-diving in the region. Within just a few steps, divers and snorkellers will submerse themselves in an underwater world populated with huge stingrays, hunting octopus, moray eels, amberjacks, Turkish wrasses and conger eels. Expert guides will help show divers the fascinating topography around Pico’s coastline, with caves, caverns and swim-throughs all housing fascinating underwater creatures.

At the right time of year, experienced divers will want to head offshore to the famous Princess Alice Bank, a mid-Atlantic sea ridge which rises up from 1000m deep to around 30m from the water’s surface. Hovering in the blue, divers will have the chance to see trains of mobulas and manta rays flying by as well as vast schools of jacks, enormous tuna and barracudas. Blue sharks are sighted in the open waters around Pico too, so divers looking to see these inquisitive sharks should be sure to stay on Pico.

Beyond the Reef

Pico has a plethora of activities to enjoy beyond the reef, and we can arrange expert guided tours of the island for those looking to learn about the history of the Azores in more depth. Pico has a rich history of whaling, and a fascinating story of how it turned from a whaling community to a key protector of the migrating whale species through the waters of the Azores. Whale-watching trips and swims with wild dolphins can be arranged, with sightings of sperm whales, blue whales, fin whales and minke whales being common. A hike up Mount Pico at dawn or overnight rewards guests with stunning views out over the island and the Atlantic Ocean.

Pico is a great place to explore at one’s own leisure, hiring a car and beetling about at your own pace, stopping off at amazing vistas and to cool off in the natural coastal pools. Secret lagoons and lava tubes can be explored with a local guide, as well as tours and wine-tasting around Pico’s unique lava stone vineyards.

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