Canary Islands – East (Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura)

The eastern Canary Islands offer year-round Atlantic diving on volcanic rock rather than coral. Gran Canaria's El Cabrón marine reserve at Arinaga is the island's only marine reserve and a shore-dive area with caves, archways, roncador shoals and angel sharks, while small wrecks lie off Puerto de Mogán and the quiet Sardina del Norte is dived from an old harbour. Lanzarote has the Museo Atlántico underwater sculpture park off Playa Blanca (guided, fee-based access), the harbour wrecks and cave-and-wall shore dives at Puerto del Carmen, and the banned Jameos del Agua lava tube. Fuerteventura adds the Isla de Lobos walls and reefs off Corralejo, the Salinas Reef at Caleta de Fuste and the Veril walls at Jandía. Sites are verified from dive-centre and guide pages; positions are estimates.

Facts

• Best season: Diveable all year; sources differ – one operator says September–November has the warmest water and best visibility, another recommends June–October
• Water temperature: About 18–24 °C (up to about 26 °C in August per one directory); a 5 mm wetsuit is suggested all year, with hood and gloves in winter
• Angel sharks: Resident at El Cabrón all year; a Davy Jones Diving survey found sightings peak from December to June when the water drops below 21 °C; a Lanzarote operator says October–March
• Underwater museum: Museo Atlántico dives are guided and fee-based via local centres; Jameos del Agua / Túnel de la Atlántida is closed to diving

Season

• Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov
• Acceptable: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
• Water temperature: 18–24 °C

Diveable all year. Water is about 18 °C in winter and about 23–26 °C in late summer and autumn; angel sharks are most often seen in the cooler months (roughly October–June according to the sources).

Dive sites (22)

Gran Canaria

• Araganza wreck (Puerto de Mogán) – 18–20 m, beginner
• Arco Pequeño / Little Arch (El Cabrón Marine Reserve) – 8–20 m, intermediate
• Cermona II wreck (Puerto de Mogán) – 19–21 m, beginner
• Hole in the Wall (El Cabrón Marine Reserve) – 14–22 m, intermediate
• Playa del Cabrón (El Cabrón Marine Reserve) – 3–12 m, beginner
• Punta de la Sal – The Gorgonia (El Cabrón Marine Reserve) – 12–31 m, advanced
• Risco Verde (Arinaga) – 3–14 m, beginner
• Sardina del Norte (Gáldar) – 3–16 m, beginner
• The Roncadors (El Cabrón Marine Reserve) – 10–21 m, intermediate

Fuerteventura

• Bajón del Río (Corralejo – Lobos strait) – 10–18 m, intermediate
• Cala Mareo (Corralejo) – 10–22 m, intermediate
• Las Salinas reef (Caleta de Fuste) – 6–35 m, intermediate
• Lobos Lighthouse reef (Faro de Martiño) – 18–32 m, advanced
• Veril Chico (Jandía) – 17–32 m, advanced
• Veril Grande (Jandía) – 15–40 m, intermediate

Lanzarote

• Blue Hole (Puerto del Carmen) – 12–35 m, advanced
• Grouper Run (Puerto del Carmen) – 25–40 m, advanced
• La Catedral (The Cathedral) – 25–30 m, advanced
• Los Jameos del Agua / Túnel de la Atlántida (DIVING BANNED) – 0 m, advanced
• Museo Atlántico (underwater sculpture park, Las Coloradas) – 10–15 m, beginner
• Playa Chica (Puerto del Carmen) – 1–10 m, beginner
• Puerto del Carmen harbour wrecks – 15–40 m, intermediate

Operators (7)

• Davy Jones Diving – dive centre, Arinaga / Maspalomas, Gran Canaria
• Manta Diving Lanzarote – dive centre, Calle Tenerife 2, Puerto del Carmen
• Rubicon Diving – dive centre, Marina Rubicón, Playa Blanca
• Punta Amanay Diving – dive centre, Corralejo, Fuerteventura
• Abyss Fuerteventura – dive centre, Calle Gravina 10, Corralejo
• Deep Blue Diving – dive centre, Muelle Deportivo, Caleta de Fuste
• FuerteOcean – dive centre, Morro Jable, Fuerteventura

Routes (7)

• El Cabrón marine reserve shore dives (Davy Jones Diving)
• Mogán wrecks (Cermona II + Araganza)
• Museo Atlántico guided dive (Rubicon Diving)
• Puerto del Carmen wrecks, walls and caves (Manta Diving)
• Corralejo and Isla de Lobos boat dives (Punta Amanay)
• Caleta de Fuste and Salinas Reef (Deep Blue Diving)
• Jandía Veril walls (FuerteOcean)

Site positions are estimates from the nearest beach or harbour and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Dive with a local centre, follow protected-area rules and check current conditions.