Situated at the entrance to Vila do Porto on the island of Santa Maria, the warmest of the Azorean islands, Hotel Colombo provides an ideal base for divers seeking encounters with the majestic manta rays that grace these Atlantic waters.
Located just ten minutes from the airport and a short drive from the golden sands of Formosa beach, the hotel combines convenience with the relaxed pace of Santa Maria island life.
The hotel features 87 air-conditioned, en-suite rooms, including 64 standard twin and king-size rooms, five spacious suites with spa baths, and 18 one-bedroom apartments equipped with kitchenettes. All rooms include terraces or balconies, satellite television, mini-bar, telephone, safety deposit box and hairdryer. The apartments are particularly well-suited for diving groups or families, sleeping up to four guests with separate living areas.
Guests can unwind between dives in the outdoor swimming pool, enjoy a massage, or savour a refreshing cocktail on the bar terrace overlooking the pool and ocean beyond. The hotel's wellness facilities provide additional opportunities for relaxation after a day exploring the underwater world.
Hotel Colombo combines comfort, accessibility and world-class diving opportunities, making it the perfect choice for divers eager to explore the remarkable underwater realm of the Azores.
Based at the Hotel Colombo, Haliotis Santa Maria operates with a team of experienced dive professionals who provide daily dive excursions around the island's impressive underwater landscape. The centre is PADI affiliated and offers a comprehensive range of diving services including a full complement of Aqualung rental equipment and dive courses. Dedicated facilities include separate male and female changing rooms with hot water showers, equipment storage, a technical zone, and comfortable areas for pre- and post-dive briefings.
Dive sites ranging from sheltered coastal locations just minutes from the marina, to offshore reserves located up to 30 nautical miles from shore. The dive season runs from June through to October, when water temperatures range between 19°C and 24°C, and visibility typically varies from 15 to 50 metres. Around the island, approximately 55 dive sites offer a diverse underwater terrain of caves, canyons, volcanic walls and vibrant reefs, catering to divers of all experience levels whilst advanced divers can explore the deeper pinnacles and blue water sites.
The exceptional oceanic currents around Santa Maria create opportunities for encounters with pelagic species, with the famous Baixa do Ambrósio site offering one of the Atlantic's most reliable mobula ray aggregations during the summer months. Here, divers descend to a mooring line suspended in the blue water, where schools of sicklefin devil rays (Mobula tarapacana) gather to feed in the current, sometimes accompanied by barracuda, tuna and other pelagic species. The Formigas & Dollabarat marine reserves, whilst requiring longer boat journeys, reward divers with pristine offshore visibility and frequent sightings of manta rays, whale sharks, dusky groupers and various shark species.
Surface intervals are typically taken aboard the dive boats, with snacks and refreshments provided, whilst the longer trips to the offshore reserves allow for spectacular marine mammal sightings during the journey. Nitrox is available.
Dive from the beautiful island of Santa Maria and expect large pelagic marine encounters at seamounts rising from the deep, as well as seasonal visitors such as devil rays at Baixa do Ambrósio. Find Out More about Dive Santa Maria
The 'Sun Island' is warmer, flatter and drier than the others in the archipelago. It offers local dive sites to suit all levels, as well as blue water diving with devil rays at Baixa do Ambrósio and plenty of pelagic encounters in the natural reserve of Formigas and Dollabarat. Find Out More about {acc:title}
