Spain – Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera

Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera share clear Mediterranean water over Posidonia seagrass meadows and limestone. Formentera's dives lie mostly inside the Freus d'Eivissa i Formentera marine reserve, where the Consell de Formentera's own dive catalogue publishes GPS positions for arches, caves, a collapsed fish-farm platform and an old fishing-boat wreck, and where dives need a reserve authorisation arranged by the centre. Ibiza offers the 140 m Don Pedro wreck, the islets of Es Dado and La Esponja and the Es Vedrà-area sites Es Vedranell canyons and the open-sea Sa Bota seamount, plus Sa Conillera off Sant Antoni. Menorca has the 1929 Malakoff wreck, the Pont d'en Gil cavern and the Illa de l'Aire and North Menorca reserves, where authorisation is needed and cave diving is banned. Positions come from published GPS where marked; others are estimates.

Facts

Best season: July–September has the warmest water (about 19–24 °C); diving is possible all year if you accept cold water
Visibility: About 30 m on average; the tourism board gives 15–50 m depending on the season in the Freus reserve
Marine reserves: Recreational diving in Balearic marine reserves (Es Freus, North Menorca, Illa de l'Aire, Tagomago) needs a Govern authorisation, usually arranged by the dive centre; cave diving is banned in Menorca's reserves
Turtles: Sea turtles cross the Freus area in spring, according to the Balearic tourism board

Season

Best months: Jul, Aug, Sep
Acceptable: May, Jun, Oct
Poor: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Water temperature: 14–24 °C

Diveable all year. Peak season is July–September (about 19–24 °C); in Menorca the water is about 15 °C in January and 14 °C in February, so winter needs a thick suit or drysuit. Visibility averages about 30 m; sea turtles cross the Es Freus area in spring.

Dive sites (19)

Ibiza

Don Pedro (wreck) – 24–45 m, advanced
El Dado (Dado Pequeño) – 5–28 m, beginner
Es Vedranell canyons – 8–26 m, intermediate
La Esponja – 8–30 m, intermediate
Sa Bota (La Bota d'es Vedrà) – 1–40 m, advanced
Sa Conillera (Isla Conejera) – 20 m, beginner
Tagomago marine reserve – intermediate

Formentera

El Arco – 4–22 m, beginner
Es Banc – 6–21 m, beginner
La Mariana platform – 11–33 m, advanced
Punta de sa Gavina – 6–23 m, beginner
Punta Pedrera (fishing-boat wreck) – 12–29 m, intermediate
Punta Prima – 12–28 m, intermediate
Punta Rasa caves (Ses Coves) – 10–14 m, beginner

Menorca

Georgia K (wreck) – 95 m, advanced
Illa de l'Aire marine reserve – intermediate
Malakoff (wreck) – 32–40 m, advanced
Pont d'en Gil cavern – 12 m, intermediate
Santa Clara (wreck) – 45 m, advanced

Operators (11)

Dive Inn Menorca – dive centre, Ciutadella de Menorca
Bluewater Menorca – dive centre, Cala'n Bosch / Son Xoriguer, Ciutadella
Nautilus Diving Fornells – dive centre, Fornells
Diving Menorca – dive centre, Fornells
Blue Dive Menorca – dive centre, Addaia marina, Es Mercadal
Arenal Diving & Boat Trips – dive centre, Sant Antoni de Portmany
Cala Pada Diving Center – dive centre, Cala Pada, Santa Eulària des Riu
Scuba Ibiza – dive centre, Marina Botafoch, Eivissa
Divestar Ibiza – dive centre, Ibiza
Vellmari Diving Center – dive centre, La Savina, Formentera
Orcasub Formentera – dive centre, Hotel Maryland, Formentera

Routes (3)

Positions marked good come from published GPS (Consell de Formentera dive catalogue, PADI); others are estimates for orientation only — never for navigation. Dive with a local centre, follow marine-reserve rules and check current conditions.