Spain – Region of Murcia (Cabo de Palos, Cabo Tiñoso, Águilas)

The Costa Cálida of the Region of Murcia offers year-round Mediterranean diving between La Manga and Águilas. The Cabo de Palos–Islas Hormigas marine reserve (created 1995) is the best known area: rocky bajos such as Bajo de Dentro, Bajo de Fuera and Bajo de Piles rise from depth, wrecks such as the Naranjito and the Sirio lie nearby, and the no-take core around Isla Hormiga is closed to divers; diving in the reserve needs a prior authorisation that dive centres normally arrange. North of the cape, Isla Grosa, El Farallón and La Laja and the deep WWI wrecks off La Manga (Carbonero, El Azufre) complete the picture. West of Cartagena the Cabo Tiñoso reserve (2016) protects cliffs, walls and caves around La Azohía, Isla Plana and Isla de las Palomas, and Mazarrón has gentle seagrass islets and shore dives. Águilas adds the Isla del Fraile and the Calabardina–Cabo Cope caves and wrecks. Sites are verified from official tourism pages and dive-centre guides; positions are estimates unless marked.

Facts

Marine reserves: Cabo de Palos–Islas Hormigas (1995, 1,931 ha, with a no-take integral zone around Isla Hormiga) and Cabo Tiñoso (2016, 1,173.79 ha); scuba diving inside needs prior authorisation
Water temperature: About 15 °C in winter and 27–29 °C at the surface in summer in the Bay of Mazarrón; the Islas Hormigas reserve averages 25 °C in the top 20 m in summer
Diving all year: Diveable almost all year; spring, summer and autumn are described as very pleasant, summer has the warmest water
Wrecks: The tourism board says Costa Cálida has the largest concentration of historic shipwrecks in the Mediterranean (Naranjito, Sirio, Carbonero and more)

Season

Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Acceptable: Apr, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Water temperature: 15–29 °C

Diveable almost all year. Water is about 15 °C in winter and 27–29 °C at the surface in summer (Bay of Mazarrón); spring, summer and autumn are the most pleasant. The month grouping reflects the source's general statement, not measured data.

Dive sites (37)

Cabo de Palos – Islas Hormigas

Bajo de Dentro (Islas Hormigas) – 3.3–50 m, intermediate
Bajo de Fuera (Islas Hormigas) – 3–60 m, advanced
Bajo de la Testa (Islas Hormigas) – 8–24 m, intermediate
Bajo de Piles I & II (Islas Hormigas) – 7–32 m, intermediate
Cala Fría – 2–18 m, beginner
Cala Reona – 12 m, beginner
Islas Hormigas – integral reserve (DIVING BANNED) – advanced
Naranjito wreck (Isla Gomera) – 27–46 m, advanced
Sirio wreck (Bajo de Fuera) – advanced

Cabo Tiñoso & La Azohía

Cala Cerrada – 30 m, beginner
Cala Muñoz – beginner
Cueva del Lago – 3–12 m, intermediate
El Arco (Cabo Tiñoso) – 37 m, intermediate
La Farola (Cabo Tiñoso) – 54 m, advanced
La Garita – 30 m, beginner
Playa del Mojón (Cueva del Mojón) – advanced
Punta de la Azohía – beginner
Skull (Isla Plana) – intermediate

Cartagena

Cala Cortina – 15 m, beginner
Cueva Neptuno (Cueva de la Virgen, El Portús) – 14 m, intermediate
Isla de Escombreras – Pared del Capitán – 0–25 m, intermediate
Isla de las Palomas (Cartagena) – 5–25 m, intermediate

Mazarrón

Cala del Faro (Cala del Moro Santo) – 2–10 m, beginner
Isla de Cueva de Lobos – 0–24 m, beginner
Isla de Paco (Isla de Adentro) – 0–16 m, beginner
La Caravana (Bolnuevo) – 14 m, intermediate

La Manga & Isla Grosa

Carbonero wreck (SS Thordisa) – 36–47 m, advanced
El Farallón (Isla Grosa) – 0–20 m, beginner
Isla Grosa – 6–18 m, beginner
La Laja – 2–20 m, intermediate
SS Francoli – El Azufre wreck – 47 m, advanced
Turia minesweeper (La Manga) – advanced

Águilas

Cueva de la Virgen (Calabardina) – 25 m, beginner
Cueva del Mármol (Calabardina) – 15–20.5 m, beginner
Fontanet wreck (Calabardina) – 12–19 m, intermediate
Isla del Fraile (Águilas) – 3–30 m, intermediate
La Fuente de Cope – 30–32 m, advanced

Operators (4)

Islas Hormigas Dive Centre – dive centre, Cabo de Palos
Scuba Murcia – dive centre, La Manga (Salida 6, km 1)
Rivemar Dive Resort – dive centre, La Azohía (Cartagena)
Buceo Hispania – dive centre, Puerto de Mazarrón

Routes (4)

Site positions are estimates from published headings, charted wreck positions or the nearest beach, harbour or cape, and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Diving inside the marine reserves needs a prior authorisation; dive with a local centre, follow the reserve rules and check current conditions.