Ocean Revival Underwater Park

The Ocean Revival Underwater Park is the largest single artificial reef in the world. Four sunken decommissioned Navy ships are the base structure of the park where divers can explore the ships and witness an ecosystem evolving.

Located just off the Algarve coast, between Portimão and Alvor, the Ocean Revival Park is unique in many ways. Aside from being the largest artificial reef structure in the world, the Park brings together the Portuguese past and its future. Four Portuguese Navy ships, that gave many years of service to their country were stripped and prepared for sinking. Over the course of 12 months, the four boats were strategically sunk, and now serve Portugal once again, this time as peaceful ambassadors and attractions for divers from all over the world.

A community project, the Ocean Revival Underwater Park, allows divers to explore the ships, where special entries and corridors were created before sinking. It is possible to follow the developing ecosystems and marine life that now call the park home, with cameras mounted in fixed areas, offering an invaluable timeline of development.

The Ocean Revival Underwater Park's location was chosen because it offers good diving conditions on over 300 days per year, the water temperature is between 14º - 22ºC and the waters are generally still and save for diving. There are several dive centres in the Algarve. SubNauta is the nearest to the Ocean Revival Underwater Park - and in fact the team at SubNauta were the driving force behind the innovative project.

With the Algarve's excellent range of accommodation, choice of flights from the rest of Europe, not to mention the great weather, divers can enjoy a fabulous break with their families.  It is even possible to appreciate and enjoy the Park without getting wet. At the Museu de Portimão (Portimão museum)there is a small chamber with real time video feeds from the underwater cameras at the Park.