Diving in Cabo de Palos Coast

Without a doubt the great diving attraction at Cabo de Palos is the Marine Reserve, but the steep coast of clear waters is also a great area for diving thanks to the currents. This coast of Cabo de Palos is the nursery of the species that live in the Marine Reserve. When they grow up, they look for the deep and ocean influenced waters of the underwater mountain range that lies between Cabo de Palos and Isla Hormiga.

The entire coast from Calblanque until Isla Grosa offers a great variety of immersions, from big shipwrecks, unique rocky formations and big extensions of Neptune grass, rock and algae, and an infinity of one-of-a-kind marine ecosystems.

Due to the multiple expeditions we do every month from November to May we have discovered new tours and exclusive immersions that make diving in Cabo de Palos a mucho more interesting place. Discover the immersions in our sea with us.

LOCATION AND ACCESS: In the area of Cala Flores, in the town of Cabo de Palos there are some rocky formations that end in the Isla del Descargador. Continuing the line out at sea a bajo (underwater mountain formation) will appear suddenly in the middle of a sandy area. It’s accessible swimming but it’s better to go by boat to easily carry the diving equipment.

MINIMUM DEPTH: -4 meters (-13,1 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: – 15 meters (-49,2 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: SCUBA DIVER

MORPHOLOGY: A small slab shaped bajo (underwater mountain formation) that rests on a great sandy area that has Neptune grass growing on one of it’s sides.

BOTTOM TYPE AND CONDITIONS: The bajo is surrounded by fine and clean sand, but if we go more than 50 meters from the bajo, the sandy area begins to be covered by algae that looks very similar to grass, so it will seem like we are diving over a prairie. The rocky mountain formation is covered in algae, sponges, anemones, orange coral, yellow sea whip, madrepora, and Neptune grass among other species.

Since there is no anchor point we will use the rope of our boat’s anchor, or we will go down very easily without any rope. The mountain formation can be completely seen from the surface, since the closest part to it is only at -4 meters (-13,1 feet) deep.

Depending on the experience of the group the descent will be made on one way or another. We will have different alternative immersions, like the deepest part, that emerges from a great sandy area at -15 meters (-49,2 feet) deep where we find a big vertical wall which is affected by currents (when there are any), that are the reason it’s full of life: yellow sea whips with shrimps, nudibranchs, brittle stars, some moray eels hiding in the cracks of the rock, and we can also see many brown morays. We can follow the wall ascending in one direction or the other.

On the NE face the Neptune grass grows and we will be able to find starfishes, sea urchins and, if we look closely and we are lucky we can even see sea horses. We will continue until the safety stop enjoying the light and the company of a ton of small marine life that gives color to this big rock while we finish the immersion.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: It’s a magical place, every time we dive here there is a surprise for us. Open your eyes wide, it could be a sea horse, an electric ray (Torpedo fish), trigger fish…

LOCATION AND ACCESS: Cove right next to the lighthouse, accessible by foot.

MINIMUM DEPTH: -3 meters (-9,8 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: -12 meters (-39,3 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: SCUBA DIVER

MORPHOLOGY: Cala fría is a very beautiful place for divers with less experience or that need a refresh, perfect for a first time diving or for the Open courses. The center of the cove is rock and sand, and we will visit the rock walls on our right and cross to the wall on the hill to the lighthouse of Cabo de Palos.

BOTTOM TYPE AND CONDITIONS: The bottoms are diverse and sandy areas are followed by Neptune grass, rocks and gravel. The diversity of Cala Fría offers octopuses, sole fish, cuttlefish and all the typical Mediterranean life. For the beginners we can visit a small shipwreck at just 4 meters (13,3 feet). The conditions, if the wind permits, are very good. It’s a very easy immersion, full of light and color.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: The small fishing boat shipwrecked at just -3 meters (-9,8 feet)

LOCATION AND ACCESS: In Cabo de Palos cliff area and from a sandy bottom, this singular rocky formation emerges until -3 meters (9,8 feet) from the surface. It’s only accessible by boat.

MINIMUM DEPTH: – 3 meters (9,8 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: -12 meters (-39,3 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: SCUBA DIVER

MORPHOLOGY: A rocky underwater formation with great big blocks of rock among Neptune grass and a great sandy area. The bajos (underwater mountain formations) system is a big platform at about 12 meters (39,3 feet) deep with the shallow part at -6 meters (19,6 feet). The summit makes whimsical shapes sculpted by the sea during the last thousands of years. This is why we call it Wave rock. It’s a very steep landscape with a lot of diversity in shapes during the tour.

BOTTOM TYPE AND CONDITIONS: There are various types of marine ecosystems, a great sandy area, Neptune grass prairies, big rocks and the great rocky system. The rock is always covered in algae, sponges and some patches of madrepora coral. The conditions are always very good; it’s a shelter area where there are hardly ever any currents, although it’s a place that when there is wind, it receives a lot of nutrients, which gives it a lot of biodiversity. This area is home to, among others, white and yellow sea whips, a lot of small marine life on it’s walls and bottoms, like nudibranchs, orang-utan crabs in the anemones and yellow clusters. Swimming around the bajo we can find shoals of blotched picarels, damselfish, big groups of salemas, zebra sea brams, two-banded sea breams, cardinal fish, serranidaes, ornate wrasse, Mediterranean rainbow wrasse and sometimes if we visit the sandy area we can see a ray or an electric ray.

Since it has no anchor point, we will use the rope of our boat’s anchor, or we’ll be able to descent very easily without a rope, because the bottom that is closest to the surface is just -3 meters (9,8 feet) deep. Depending on the experience of the group we will descend one way or the other. We’ll tour all the rocky area, going around the sandy area to find typical marine life of this ecosystem and we’ll visit a rocky arch. We will pass through it and we’ll be able to see some roman remains, like amphorae’s necks.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: The colors on the shallow area and the whimsical shapes of the rocks.

LOCATION AND ACCESS: We find ourselves in a unique area of sandy bottoms mixed with Neptune grass prairies near the coast of Cabo de Palos. There are also some rocky underwater mountain formations and a great dome. It’s only accessible by boat.

MINIMUM DEPTH: -10 meters (-32,8 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: -19 meters (-62,3 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: SCUBA DIVER

MORPHOLOGY: Diving at the bottom at -19 meters (-62,3 feet) we will encounter underwater rocky mountains of different depths until we arrive at a rocky canyon that ends up in a dome or cathedral formed by the sea’s erosion

BOTTOM TYPE AND CONDITIONS: As in other immersions at Cabo de Palos, we will find different types of marine ecosystems: neptune grass prairies and rocky underwater mountain formations. The rock is always covered by algae, sponges, many sea squirts and yellow cluster anemones. In the areas with more water movement and depth we can see small groups of yellow and white sea whips where we can find little inhabitants. Conditions are always very good and currents are not frequent in this area. It’s a fairly deep immersion since it’s a bit far away from the shore. Like in the entire coastline, these waters receive a lot of nutrients, which help this area have a wide biodiversity. We can see a lot of small life on the walls and bottoms, like nudibranchs and other molluscs inside the characteristic cracks that all underwater mountain formations have. There are also some walls with yellow cluster anemone and we have occasionally seen a small lobster. There are always bloched picarels, damselfish, big groups of salemas, zebra sea brams, two-banded sea brams, serranidae, ornate wrasses and mediterranean rainbow wrasses fluttering around the underwater mountain formation.

Since it has no anchor point we will use the rope of our own boat’s anchor. We will tour the underwater mountain rocky formations depending on the visibility and the experience of the divers, always offering itineraries of great landscapes and low difficulty.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: The Great Canyon formed between the rocks and the large cathedral, unique in Cabo de Palos.

LOCATION AND ACCESS: Outside of the Cabo de Palos Marine Reserve we find a mixed bottom of neptune grass, gravel and rocks that make for a great landscape variety. It’s only accessible by boat since it’s quite far away from the coast.

MINIMUM DEPTH: -12 meters (39,3 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: -17 meters (55,7 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: OPEN WATER DIVER / B1

MORPHOLOGY: Flat bottom with rocky slabs and contours.

BOTTOM TYPE AND CONDITIONS: Diving in this area we find rocky slabs among the Neptune grass and a contour filled with sponges, anemones and orange coral, etc. A tour full of surprises that are still on the bottom since ancient times.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: The anchors from ancient times that appear between the contours of the underwater mountain formations. Great noble pen shell field.

LOCATION AND ACCESS: Very close to the coast of Cabo de Palos and accessible on foot.

MINIMUM DEPTH: -7 meters (22,9 feet)

MAXIMUM DEPTH: -19 meters (62,3 feet)

MINIMUM DEGREE: SCUBA DIVER

MORPHOLOGY: At this diving point we can enjoy the very big rocks with some passageways that are wide enough for the less experienced divers, that lead us to great Neptune grass prairies and sandy areas.

TYPE OF BOTTOM AND CONDITIONS: These peculiar underwater mountain rocky formations offer immersions for all levels and the covered walls are full of small life like nudibranchs, red scorpionfish, crabs, moray eels and we have sometimes seen a Mediterranean slipper lobster. Calcareous algae predominate in this gravel bottom, and also sandy patches in the deepest area, where we can also find a lot of orange coral and yellow cluster anemones. Among the life that hangs around in this area we can see zebra sea brams and two-banded sea bram shoals. Also some guilt-head brims, young common dentex and among the deepest rocks, young wild groupers. It’s an immersion that starts at very little depth, very easy and almost always with very favourable conditions. Even though there are no excessive currents, here at Cabo de Palos the waters are never still due to the great quantities of water that the far away currents bring from the open sea.

Since it has no anchor point we will use the rope of our own boat’s anchor. We will design the tour depending on the visibility and the experience of the divers in the group. Always offering an itinerary looking for the best conditions to see landscapes and small life.

SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: The underwater passageways between rocks.

SITUATION: Cabo de Palos area

ORIENTATION: All

ACCESS: On foot or by boat

MINIMUM DEGREE: Advanced Diver

DEPTH: 5 meters (16,4 feet) up to 15 meters (49,2 feet)

TYPE OF BOTTOM: Rock, sand, Neptune grass, gravel, etc

MARINE LIFE: A lot of nocturnal habit life, very different to daytime life.

OBSERVATIONS: Night dives are very special at Cabo de Palos any time of the year. The rocky coves, great sandy extensions and Neptune grass prairies make for a very prolific and special nightlife. Diving at night will leave us with very special and incomparable sensations. We will be able to see species that only come out at night, bioluminescence, and navigation at night is something out of this world.