A certification process is under way for tour companies to operate in Parque Pedra do Valado, the region’s newest nature park. Once they are regulated, the protected area will become a recognised dive site. “This will be new for next year or 2026,” Gomes said.
Pedra do Valado is the biggest coastal reef in the Algarve, and home to a multitude of marine creatures including sardine shoals, octopuses and cuttlefish.
There are also two man-made dive sites in the waters off the Algarve. EDP Art Reef is a temporary underwater art exhibition created by Portuguese street artist Alexandra Farto, known as Vhils. At a depth of more than 10 metres, divers will find 13 sculptures made from old power station parts.
A more established site is the Ocean Revival Underwater Park, near Portimao, which is the largest single artificial reef in the world and features four sunken decommissioned navy ships.
Gomes said: “These three dive locations are located within a 20km radius. Not many destinations can boast that diversity of offer for the dive community.”
He added: “We are becoming a very interesting destination for diving, and we will structure this offer in the coming years. We’re doing a lot of work with tour operators, but we’ll also be counting on our foreign residents and visitors to spread the word about the quality of our diving.”
Meanwhile, the Algarve Tourism Bureau is extending its voluntary "Save Water" programme to include more stakeholders in the tourism industry, such as car rental companies, marinas and attractions.
This follows on from the success of the programme with hoteliers, which has seen 40% of accommodation in the region implement water saving measures, leading to a 13% decrease in the consumption of water year-on-year.
“This is a good result,” said Gomes. “But we will continue to push this because the [drought] is not stopping.”
The region’s tourism strategy for 2025 will also focus on nature tourism, gastronomy and wine, and extending the tourism seasons through events like the Moto GP taking place in November 2025.
“We have 300 days of sun per year,” said Gomes. “We are a year-round destination."
