11 Scuba Diving Tours in Madeira Worth Booking

1.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 715 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $53Our pick

Start at Madeira Divepoint inside the Pestana Carlton, learn basic scuba skills with a PADI instructor, practice in a pool, then choose an ocean session at the center’s private reef. Small groups, multilingual guides, and close support suit nervous beginners. Pool-only and ocean options have different age limits.

“Brilliant kayak and snorkelling tour, equipment was really great quality and guide was fantastic. He made sure everyone was safe and explained everything really well which made it a great experience. The boats are equipped with their own mini bar which has water and red bull for the trip along with a water proof bag for other snacks, camera etc. You can leave anything else you have at the meeting point to be looked after, take some old shoes or water shoes for in the kayak and getting onto shore. Great snorkelling experience around the rocks with lots of fish on a good day. Highly recommended!”

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2.Scuba Diving Experience in Madeira

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 266 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50Top rated

At Azul Diving Center in Funchal, you learn basic scuba skills in the classroom and pool before entering the sea with an instructor. Your 45 to 50-minute sea session reaches up to 12 metres. The group has no more than four people, and guides such as Rafa, Esme, and Guadalupe provide close support.

“It was unpleasant for us. We're beginners and would've appreciated being alone with the instructor, not in a group.”

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3.Diving in the Madeira Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 215 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $163

At Madeira Aquarium in Porto Moniz, you learn basic scuba skills, enter the Cachalote natural pools, then spend time in the 6-meter main tank with sharks, rays, morays, and other local species. Instructors Abílio, Manuel, and Michael provide the equipment and close support. No prior experience is required.

“Meine allererste Taucherfahrung, hat mich zwischendurch einiges an Überwindung gekostet, aber unser Tauchlehrer war einfach super und der Tag einer meiner Urlaubhighlights- kann es jedem nur empfehlen- ein einmaliges Erlebnis!”

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4.Diving with Sharks and Rays in Madeira Aquarium

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 192 reviews · 3 hours · from $159

At Aquário da Madeira in Porto Moniz, you learn scuba skills with instructor Abílio, practice in a natural ocean pool, then enter the main tank beside sharks, rays, and mantas. A guided aquarium and technical-zone tour is included. Groups are limited to four.

“Abilio Sousa was outstanding!He’s playfully genuine, extremely knowledgeable and highly trustworthy in his scuba diving craft. His knowledge about Madeira, the aquatic plants and animals is top notch and rich with history. He provided a lively, focused and exceptionally rewarding first ever scuba diving experience for my family (myself, daughter and grandma) to enjoy and remember. Abilio went above and beyond to ensure our experience felt safe, comfortable and fun. We highly recommend him to any individual or family (even if you’re a bit frightened) !!!”

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5.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $54

Learn scuba basics with a PADI instructor at Madeira Divepoint, practice in a pool, then visit a shallow Funchal reef if conditions allow. Miguel is praised for calm, patient instruction. The ocean session is for ages 10 and up, and the entire experience lasts about three hours.

“I like the activity. Trainers are very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed. It was quite deep for the first time but it worked for me.”

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6.3 days Open Water Course | Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $527

Train over three days with Azul Diving Madeira in Funchal, starting with classroom and pool work before completing open-water sessions. Instructors such as Lupii, Tomas, Sara, Nico, and Rafa are known for calm, personal coaching. Equipment, taxes, and certification training are included.

“We did our advanced PADI with Azul dive centre”

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7.Certified Scuba Diving, Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 34 reviews · 2 hours · from $33Best value

Join a certified scuba guide at Madeira Dive Point inside the Carlton Hotel for a relaxed shore-based underwater tour in Funchal’s marine protected area. You’ll receive a 30-minute safety briefing, spend about an hour underwater, and may rent an underwater scooter, camera, or torch.

“Super activité, l’accompagnatrice a pris le temps avant car je n’avais pas plongé depuis longtemps, et a su me mettre à l’aise Les fonds marins étaient magnifiques, j’ai vu beaucoup de poissons”

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8.Advanced Scuba Diving Afonso Cerqueira Wreck

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 22 reviews · 2 hours · from $64

Join Azul Diving Madeira from Funchal for a 2-hour wreck outing to the 85-meter Afonso Cerqueira. Certified divers can reach 30 meters, explore the engine room and cafeteria, and spot marine life around this protected artificial reef. Equipment rental is extra.

“The best dive centre we have visited. The staff are extremely helpful and considerate. The dives were great but about 10 mins short. It would be great to have more air and get that extra few mins. However, by far the best PADI dive centre we have visited. Tq Oreo and Vladimir Ged and Jack”

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9.Madeira, Ponta São Lourenço: Scuba Diving for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $53

You’ll learn scuba basics with an English-speaking instructor, practice in a pool, then spend about 45 minutes in the sea at a private reef near Azul Diving Center. With a maximum depth of 12 meters, the session suits beginners who can swim and want a carefully guided first underwater experience.

“Nico has been an excellent guide: it was the first time for me and he made me feel super comfortable and relaxed. He has been super clear during the "lesson time" and help me when I wasn't able to equalize at the beginning. I liked the experience a lot and never felt in danger. Also we saw lot of fishes, an octopus and a couple of anemones, and that was super nice! Highly recommended”

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10.Scuba Diving Experience for Beginners in Ponta de São Lourenço

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102

Learn the basics with an English-speaking instructor, practice in shallow water, then explore Azul Diving Madeira’s private reef near Quinta do Lorde Marina. The small-group format, maximum two people, suits first-timers who want careful guidance and close attention.

“Great time with Vlad and his mate. In spite of the cloudy weather, we had a lovely time. We recommend this snorkeling experience because it's fun and safe.”

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11.Discover Scuba Diving or Try dive

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · from $86

Meet at 9:00 am in Caniçal for a private PADI Discover Scuba session with theory, equipment, and a supervised sea experience in shallow water. Pickup is offered across Madeira, and the session may count toward a future PADI certification. Equipment is included, but lunch is not.

“En France, il existe une expression « être pris pour un pigeon »... nous avons eu le sentiment de nous être gentiment, mais sûrement, bien fait arnaquer !!Un conseil n’y allez pas.”

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