Graciosa Island

It is common to say that for every week you stay in Graciosa, you add an extra year to your life. Graciosa is cool and easy and people are gentile, real and human. The island owns itself, is small but powerful in the emotions. Be ready to feel different while staying in Graciosa and to let a teardrop of “Saudade” at the airport when you say goodbye. Diving in Graciosa has also a powerful something attached to it. You will never forget the strong colour contrast between the deep blue ocean and the fresh green of the island, spotted by the hundreds of cows scattered through the land that along with white fluffy clouds, always around, perfect for that Kodak moment. Under water is a different thing. The Island reveals itself to be very unpredictable. From one moment to the other you can see anything. Manta rays, dusty groupers, barracudas, gully jacks, hog fish, sharks and then…nothing again. Just the rocky mountains bellow, full of algae in an endless dance, awaiting for the next rush hour. The most colourful fish around are the parrot fish and the thalassomas, along with many moray eels and different species of gobies that will add some action to your dives. Graciosa is known for its “baixas”, the tops of underwater mountains that reach hundreds of meters under. Those tops can be found between five and fifty or more meters of depth. If you stay in a “baixa” quietly looking down, you will feel like on a balcony of a very high skyscraper, just waiting for something big to say hi. It is a totally different diving experience for your logbook. The most famous shipwreck is the “Terceirense”, just off the main harbour and very easy to dive in, with an intact propeller and other very interesting details to explore. Further south, the Ilhéu do Carapacho is an amazing place with huge caverns and rocky floors where you can see some sting rays , endemic nudibranches, spider crabs and even, if you are lucky, hammerhead sharks. Never forget that the Azores are volcanic islands so everywhere you can watch rock formations and canyons perfect to be the home for numerous species or for migrating stops. The temperature of the waters is between 14ºC in the Winter and 24ºC in Summer. Semi-dry suits are perfect for this water temperature. Currents are mild and make good drift dives. Dive centers are fully equipped and trained to make your vacation unforgettable. Graciosa is still a place where you can dive away from stress. And without many people around is actually a very romantic place.