10 essential scuba dives on the Costa Brava

The waters of the Costa Brava are home to a world teeming with life and an abundant and varied flora and fauna. The characteristically uneven coastline stretches out under the sea to form rocky corners, undersea hills, large, luminous caves, imposing rock walls and spectacular meadows of Neptune grass, as well as some unique sights such as sunken ships.

All these places boast an explosion of life: small and large fish swimming in shoals or watching over their domains by the rocks, multi-coloured sea fans that carpet over entire rock walls, meadows of Neptune grass that provide shelter to juvenile fish and protected crannies where colonies of red coral thrive.

What is the best way to discover this paradise? By diving with over 35 specialised centres, which are staffed by true lovers of the sea who accompany you on this experience. Together with these centres we have compiled the 10 best dives on the Costa Brava in order to give an exceptional taste of everything this fascinating world has to offer.

What if you are unqualified? Do the course, take an introductory session or enjoy one of the interpretative snorkelling routes and find out what you need to know to understand and preserve a habitat that is so close at hand yet unfamiliar.

Remember that the Costa Brava offers a full range of water activities and a host of companies to choose from.

Costa Brava. Snorkeling.�JordiChias. CBGTB Image Archive

Crèdit: Jordi Chias

Blanes – La Seca

This dive starts from the beach. La Seca is an imposing rock rising from a depth of 14 metres to 3 metres underwater. Four sixteenth-century cannons that were left by different shipwrecks can be observed. Circling the rock reveals a crevice that leads to a small chimney teeming with life.

Level: beginners

Centers in Blanes: Blanes-sub

Costa Brava. �JordiChias. CBGTB Image Archive

Crèdit: Jordi Chias

Tossa – La Mar Menuda

This dive starts from the beach and in just a few minutes descends to a rocky seabed at a depth of 12 to 15 metres. It is ideal for beginners. Seahorses can be spotted throughout the year as well as monkfish, sunfish and cuttlefish and other species. Divers with greater expertise can descend to 30 metres, to a zone frequented by cleaner wrasses that often remove parasites from other fish.

La Mar Menuda also offers one of the best night dives available on the Costa Brava.

Level: all levels

Centers in Tossa: Andreas Diving, Superdive Tossa, Water Sports/Dive Tossa

Palamós – Boreas

Boreas is a ship from the Second World War that was sunk in 1989 for the purpose of diving. It offers dives of depths between 20 and 32 metres and is one of the Costa Brava’s best-known wrecks. There are abundant conger eels, bream and seabass in the zone.

Level: advanced

Centres in Palamós: Gidive Center Palamós;  H20 Diving Center i Palamós Dive Center 

Calella, Llafranc i Tamariu – Els Ullastres

Els Ullastres is a formation of three seamounts, each of which is a dive in itself. Dives start from a depth of 8 metres and feature ledges, caves and narrow corridors frequented particularly by groupers, scorpion fish, moray eels and a large number of sea fans.

Level: beginners

Centres in Calella, Llafranc and Tamariu: Poseidon Diving, Snorkel Diving Center, Triton Diving, Stollis Divebase

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Aiguablava-Begur – Furió Fitó

This is one of the most impressive undersea rock formations on the entire coast. It is an enormous underwater massif with a summit at a depth of 14 metres and a base at over 65 metres. This site offers dives for all levels and virtually all kinds of fish and subaquatic organisms can be spotted.

Level: all levels

Centres in Begur: Begur Dive

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L’Estartit, Illes Medes - La Vaca

This well-known dive in the Medes Islands marine reserve is unmistakable for its spacious, luminous tunnel entrances, covered with spectacular sea fans. This place teems with some incredible fauna, ranging from majestic groupers to colourful nudibranchs.

Level: all levels

Centres in l’Estartit: Aquàtica, Calypso Estartit, Hotel & Diving Les Illes, Diving Center La Sirena, El Rei del Mar, Lassdive, L’Escola Nàutic & Diving; Medaqua, Oceansub, Unisub Estartit, Xaloc Diving Center.

L’Escala – El Marmoler

Sunken ship called El Marmoler because of the cargo of marble it transported that still lies on the seabed. This dive is a must for experts as the ship still seems to be sailing, albeit now on an ocean of sand. Depth of from 36 to 40 metres.

Level: advanced

Centres in l’Escala: Dive Paradis, Mateua Dive, Orca Diving Center

Roses / Cap de Creus - Cap Norfeu – El Gat

This is the most-loved and best-known dive south of Cap de Creus. It is located at Cap Norfeu and boasts both abundant fixed fauna and fish. The seabed starts at the foot of a rock wall at a depth of some ten metres and descends to around 25 metres. The red sea fan-covered walls end at a sandy seabed.

Level: all levels

Centres in Roses, Montjoi i Jòncols: Centre d’immersió Roses, Roses Sub, Montjoi Diving Center, Eurodivers/Cala Jòncols.

Cadaqués – La Massa d’Or

Iconic dive. The island gets its name from the golden gleam of the rock underwater. It is some way from the coast and subject to onslaught from the sea and therefore a difficult zone for diving because of strong winds and currents of all kinds. On good days it is nonetheless spectacular because of the series of undersea islets and the large number of fish to be spotted. An exceptional site for diving on the Costa Brava.

Level: advanced

Centres in Cadaquès: Sotamar Diving

Llançà / Colera – Bau de la Punta del Molí

This long, narrow reef is some distance from the coast and offers a dive to depths of between 4 and 40 metres. The rock wall is covered in sea fans and very vertical, which can give divers a sense of weightlessness. The zone is very dense in fish, particularly groupers, dentexes and conger eels as well as barracudas and other migratory fish.

Level: all levels

Centres in Llançà and Colera: Centre d’Immersió Cap de Creus  i Diving Center Colera.

Accommodation

If you would like to spend a few days on the Costa Brava and combine scuba diving and other water sports with, for example, hiking or cycling, you can stay at any of these places. They are all ideal for staying at with your friends or family.

One day is not enough! If you choose to spend a few days on the Costa Brava combining diving with the region’s rich range of cuisine, culture and nature, you can stay at one of these establishments. They are ideal places to come with family or friends and to find out about the whole range of activities available.