Gruta dos Enxaréus
39.4500°N 31.1200°W · cave
Gruta dos Enxaréus
Narrow cave corridors on Flores Island where groups of six or more large stingrays regularly shelter — two 30-metre passages barely over a metre wide.
Overview
Gruta dos Enxaréus on Flores Island is a dramatic coastal cave system situated at the base of sea cliffs on the headland of Ponta da Caveira, between Santa Cruz and Caveira. The site features two corridors, each approximately 30 metres long and in places barely over 1 metre wide, with an average depth of 15 metres and a maximum of 23 metres. Access is by boat, 10 minutes from Santa Cruz Quay.
The defining feature is common stingrays (Dasyatis pastinaca) that regularly use the cave as shelter; divers frequently encounter groups of six or more large stingrays at the wide entrance or inside the corridors. Despite modest depths, the narrow passage exploration restricts the site to Advanced Open Water certified divers.
Site Information
- Location: Ponta da Caveira, Flores Island, Azores
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Cave/cavern
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Maximum Depth: 23 meters
- Typical Visibility: 15–25 meters
- Current: Weak
- Best Time: June to September
Marine Life
Common stingrays (Dasyatis pastinaca) in groups of six or more inside the cave corridors — the defining feature. Outside in the sheltered bay: grey triggerfish, white trevallies (Pseudocaranx dentex), and Almaco jacks (Seriola rivoliana).
Tips and Recommendations
- Groups of 6+ large stingrays regularly shelter inside the narrow corridors
- Two 30 m-long corridors barely over 1 m wide — requires controlled buoyancy and a slender profile
- Advanced certification required; the cave environment is the primary challenge, not depth
- 10 minutes by boat from Santa Cruz, Flores
- Flores is one of the most remote Azores islands — plan logistics carefully (ferry or small aircraft from Faial)
Sources: dive.visitazores.com, turismo.azores.gov.pt, Explore Flores Island. Last updated 2026-07-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
2425 verified species observations (84 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1896 and 2018, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Calonectris borealis
- Sterna
- Larus michahellis
- Katsuwonus pelamis
- Sardina pilchardus
- Trachurus picturatus
- Puffinus gravis
- Delphinus delphis
- Beryx decadactylus
- Scomber colias
- Stenella frontalis
- Pagellus acarne
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
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