The Desertas Islands: Madeira's Wild Atlantic Sanctuary

Sailing southeast from Marina da Quinta do Lorde, the horizon slowly reveals one of the Atlantic's best-kept secrets: the Desertas Islands. Wild, silent, and fiercely protected, these three islands are a world apart — and at SeaYa! Madeira, they are the destination we are most proud to share with our guests.

Three Islands, One Archipelago

The Desertas are made up of three distinct islands, aligned north to south like a spine rising from the sea:

• Ilhéu Chão — the northernmost and smallest, a flat plateau just 98 metres at its highest point, with a lighthouse and its companion islet, the Farilhão.
• Deserta Grande — the largest, stretching 11.7 km long and up to 479 metres high, with dramatic cliffs and the only reliable anchorage in the archipelago.
• Bugio — the southernmost island, wilder and more remote, home to nesting seabirds and a population of endemic land snails recently brought back from the brink of extinction.

Together, they cover a total area of 14.21 km² and are administered by the municipality of Santa Cruz, Madeira.

14 Nautical Miles — About 2 Hours and 20 Minutes Under Sail

From our home base at Marina da Quinta do Lorde in Caniçal, the Ilhéu Chão — the first of the three islands — lies just 14 nautical miles to the southeast. At a comfortable cruising speed of 6 knots, that translates to roughly 2 hours and 20 minutes of sailing each way. It is the ideal distance for a full-day passage: enough sea time to feel the ocean, not so much that you arrive exhausted.

The approach is spectacular. The cliffs of Deserta Grande emerge from the haze like something prehistoric, rust-red and ochre, dropping vertically into deep blue water.

The Only Anchorage: Porto das Moças

Along the entire coastline of the Desertas, there is only one safe anchorage: Porto das Moças, a natural bay on the southwestern flank of Deserta Grande. This is where authorised vessels drop anchor, and where the Nature Wardens' station is located. It offers modest shelter from the prevailing winds and is the gateway to everything the island has to show.

A Protected Sanctuary Since 1990

The Desertas have been legally protected since 1990, when they were classified as a Special Protection Area, primarily to safeguard a critically endangered population of Mediterranean monk seals. In 1995, their status was elevated to a full Nature Reserve — the Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas — and they were also recognised as a Biogenetic Reserve by the Council of Europe. The entire area, including 100 metres of surrounding sea floor, is now part of the Natura 2000 network.

Access is strictly controlled. All vessels require prior authorisation from the IFCN (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests). Landing on the islands is only permitted in designated areas, and the southern marine zone is completely off-limits to navigation.

The Wildlife: Rare, Endemic, Extraordinary

The Desertas punch well above their weight when it comes to biodiversity. Here is what makes this archipelago truly unique:

• Mediterranean Monk Seal (Lobo-Marinho) — Perhaps the rarest marine mammal in the world. In the late 1980s, the population at the Desertas had collapsed to just 6–8 individuals. Thanks to decades of protection and monitoring, the colony now numbers around 22 animals (2021 data). The Desertas colony is one of only two remaining Atlantic populations — the other is at Cabo Branco, Mauritania.
• Desertas Tarantula (Lycosa ingens) — An endemic species found only in the Valle da Castanheira on Deserta Grande. One of the largest spiders in Europe.
• Seabirds — The archipelago is a vital nesting ground, recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. The Freira-do-Bugio and Alma-Negra are among the species that nest here.
• Endemic Snails — Two species (Discula lyelliana and Geomitra grabhami) were thought extinct for over a century. Rediscovered between 2012 and 2017, they were bred in captivity in UK and French zoos. In 2024, over 1,300 individuals were reintroduced to Bugio Island.
• Musschia isambertoi — A critically endangered plant found only on Deserta Grande, confined to a single, hard-to-reach coastal location.

The Nature Wardens: Guardians of the Island

At Porto das Moças, on the sheltered south-facing slope of Deserta Grande, stands a small house — home to a team of Nature Wardens (Vigilantes da Natureza) from the IFCN. These are the people who have made the recovery of the monk seal possible. They live on rotation at the station, monitoring the seal colony, controlling access to the reserve, carrying out scientific observations, and ensuring the rules of the reserve are respected by every vessel that enters.

When you sail with SeaYa! Madeira to the Desertas, you will meet them. They are knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely proud of what this reserve has achieved. Their dedication over more than three decades is the reason the monk seal still exists here at all.

Sailing There with SeaYa! Madeira

Our Full Day Sea Tour takes you all the way to the Desertas and back — a 6-hour adventure that includes the 14-mile passage each way, time at anchor in Porto das Moças, swimming and snorkelling in some of the clearest water in the Atlantic, and the chance to spot the monk seal in its natural habitat.

Jacques Cousteau reportedly called these the clearest waters he had ever dived. We will let you be the judge of that.