El Arco

South of La Savina, past the Punta d'Es Banc, a submerged rock point carries a spectacular arch (lintel at about 1 m, base at about 8 m) and a second, narrower arch resting on a bottom at about 15 m, in the Es Freus reserve. Shoals of sea bream, brown meagre and banded sea bream shelter under the portico, the walls are covered in false coral, sponges and ascidians, octopus are regular, and a Posidonia meadow with salps lies between the arches. Position from the Consell de Formentera dive catalogue.

Facts

• Region: Spain – Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera
• Area: Formentera
• Depth: 4–22 m
• Level: beginner
• Current: moderate
• Type: reef, cave, wall
• Coordinates: 38.7232, 1.38587
• Highlights: two rock arches, octopus and sea bream, Posidonia meadow, photographers' favourite
• Permit: Inside the Freus d'Eivissa i Formentera marine reserve (13,617 ha). Recreational diving in the Balearic marine reserves needs an authorisation from the Govern de les Illes Balears; dive centres on the Balearic register hold it and arrange it for guided dives, individual divers need a valid certification. Sources conflict: the Formentera tourism page says scuba diving is strictly forbidden throughout the reserve, while the Govern's authorisation page and the Consell's dive catalogue list Es Freus sites as authorisable – dive with a local centre and confirm current rules.
• Issuer / contact: Govern de les Illes Balears – Direcció General de Pesca i Medi Marí, Servei de Recursos Marins (marine reserves)
  • Phone: +34 971 17 61 14
  • Website: https://www.caib.es/sites/reservesmarines/es/
• Tips: The easiest and most photogenic of the Es Freus sites; also used for discovery dives.

Sources

• https://www.formentera.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cataleg_busseig_ITA.pdf
• https://illesbalears.travel/en/formentera/the-best-places-to-dive-in-formentera
• https://vellmari.com/inmersiones/
• https://www.formentera.es/en/explore/activities/diving/