With the arrival of summer and the high temperatures that prevail on the Valencian coast, the variety of aquatic activities that can be practised on the beaches and natural spots that the Region of Valencia boasts are a great attraction for sportsmen, adventurers, and adrenaline junkies.
With more than 500 kilometres of pure Mediterranean Sea, with crystal-clear waters and enclaves of uncountable natural value, diving is an ideal way to dive and observe the beauty of the Valencian coastline, which already has more than 30 diving centres.
Likewise, the mild temperatures of our waters and the absence of strong winds and sea currents will allow for comfortable dives for both professional and beginner divers.
These are some of the places where you can go scuba diving. An ideal plan to practice sport and enjoy with the family in the Valencian Community.
Granadella Cove- Jávea
Probably one of the most famous and frequented coves in Jávea. It has a small beach of 160 metres long with spectacular crystal clear waters and easy access, which makes it an ideal place for scuba diving. It has been awarded the blue flag since 1987.
To access the beach, there is a steep road that gradually reveals the beauty of the beach. It is taken from the Cabo de la Nao road, approximately two kilometres before reaching it.
In this case, the dive is quite simple, suitable for divers of any level. The seabed is full of Posidonia, dotted with large rocks, and there are frequent encounters with octopus and moray eels. There are also caves and galleries where you can see Corvina, crustaceans, and maybe even conger eels.
If you want to experience the baptism of diving in Granadella, ‘Marinalia’ is one of the best companies you can hire for this purpose. The trip costs approximately 70 euros (3 hours).
The Cape of Sant Antoni – Jávea
Very close to the Cap de Sant Antoni, almost next to the coast, there is a small islet known as ‘La Mona’. It offers the possibility of anchoring next to it in an area that is 8 metres deep and has different gradual drops that reach up to 20 metres, where you can see a sandier seabed.
The itinerary, which runs in a circle around the islet, offers views of some peculiar rock formations and a very diverse type of marine life, most of which is made up of bream, serranos, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish.
Spirographs will also appear, especially striking in the backlights. Once you reach the part that faces the cape, there is a narrowing that forces you to ascend up to 5 metres to access a pool of calm water where you may find the remains of a boat.
One of the pioneering diving companies in the Cape San Antonio area is MarDays. They offer different types of dives, starting at 50 euros (2 and a half hours) per person, if you come in a group of five or more people.
On the Valencian coasts, entertaining and sometimes surprising dives with a real abundance of life are possible. In the case of this dive in Cullera, it is necessary to go with a boat to the dive site, which is located two nautical miles from the coast.
Once there, the plunging descent reaches a rocky bottom at a depth of 19 metres until you reach the sand, where you will find nacras and even some rays, while in the holes and crevices, you will find lobsters, corvinas and even the odd grouper. White gorgonians and colourful nudibranchs are also a common sight along the route.
The Delfin Cullera Diving Centre offers different types of courses, depending on the difficulty and experience of each person. From the official website, you can request all the necessary information and consult the different modalities.
Columbretes Islands – Castellón
Located off the coast of Castellón, the Columbretes Islands make up a spectacular archipelago of volcanic origin that owes its name to the presence of countless snakes.
Officially declared a Natural Park and Marine Reserve, they are identified as one of the most coveted destinations by divers from all over Europe, who recognise in their waters one of the best preserved sea beds in the Western Mediterranean. So much so that it is probably the greatest underwater jewel of the Valencian Community.
To enjoy the splendour of life to be found at the bottom of Columbretes, it is not necessary to go out to the more complicated and technical outer area. Heading towards the northern part of the island, you can see a medium-depth seabed, but full of life: sea bream, dentex, barracuda, octopus and sea cicadas parade before you in a surprising procession, while solid nacres mark out sandy clearings.
Barracuda Buceos organises two dives in the Columbretes Islands on the same excursion: one at around 11.00 am and the other at 2.00 pm. The price for both dives is 130 euros.
Tabarca Island – Benidorm
The island of Nueva Tabarca or Isla Plana is located about five miles from the port of Santa Pola and is the only permanently inhabited island in the Comunitat Valenciana.
At the same time, the little pressure that mankind has exerted on it, is what has allowed it to maintain its seabed in an exceptional state of conservation compared to the nearest coast. For this reason, the first Spanish Marine Reserve was created in 1986, with approximately 1,400 hectares and seabed depths of up to 40 metres.
Almost at the outer limit of the Tabarca Marine Reserve, the depth sounding reveals a slab of rock, some 50 metres long, standing out from the sandy bed at a depth of 25 metres. Paying attention to the Posidonia that surrounds the islet, you can see large specimens of crustaceans such as cicada and lobster, as well as moray eels and conger eels. There are also large specimens of starfish that will surprise you with their great repertoire of colours.
Scuba diving is subject to approval by the relevant authorities. In this sense, they are granted for specific dates until the permitted quota is reached.
The Elephant Cave – Altea
Leaving the port of Altea in a southerly direction, the coastline wall forms a face that resembles that of an elephant, below which a cave with the same name is immersed.
The beginning of the dive starts at the entrance to another cave, the Enanito cave. This is a shallow route (approximately 14 metres), which goes through chimneys and caves with impressive views of the blue sea that will leave no one indifferent. The marine life you can find on this dive includes moray eels, conger eels and octopus.
Although it is not a complicated dive, it is advisable to do it with a dive centre, such as Celacanto. You have to take into account the possible compensation problems due to the ascents and descents.
