Spain – Strait of Gibraltar & Cádiz (Tarifa)

This region covers the Spanish side of the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic coast of Andalusia. The best-documented diving is around Tarifa Island (Isla de las Palomas) inside the Parque Natural del Estrecho: easy shore-and-boat sites such as La Garita and Las Piscinas, boulder corridors at Las Calles and Los Pasillos, the Las Calderas and San Andrés steamship wrecks, and the current-swept walls of Punta Marroquí, the southern tip of mainland Europe. Deeper wrecks (Las Gorgonias, Puerto Pajares, about 30 m) lie off Los Lances beach. Operators say dives are guided and chosen by wind and current. Sites for Ceuta, Conil and a few Tarifa sites with no published position are listed in a separate unverified file; we found no verifiable dive sites for the Bay of Cádiz, Algeciras or Huelva. Positions are estimates.

Facts

• Protected area: Tarifa Island dives are inside the Parque Natural del Estrecho; Ocean Addicts says all dives there are guided
• Currents: Atlantic and Mediterranean waters meet here; Las Calles, Los Pasillos and Punta Marroquí often have strong current, and the dive choice depends on wind and current
• Water temperature: About 19 °C in a recent site report; a booking listing suggests a wetsuit for 16-20 °C

Season

• Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
• Acceptable: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec
• Water temperature: 16–20 °C

Diveable all year with water of roughly 16-20 °C, so a thick wetsuit is needed. Summer is best: the Las Laminarias kelp field and the Puerto Pajares wreck are usually visited in summer; wind and current decide the site on the day.

Dive sites (10)

Tarifa Island (Isla de las Palomas)

• La Garita (I and II) – 2–15 m, beginner
• Las Calderas wreck – 10–22 m, intermediate
• Las Calles – 5–25 m, intermediate
• Los Pasillos – 10–20 m, intermediate
• Punta Marroquí de Levante – 15–40 m, advanced
• Punta Marroquí de Poniente – 15–40 m, advanced
• San Andrés wreck – 25–45 m, advanced

Tarifa – Los Lances wrecks

• Las Gorgonias wreck (Citus) – 30–32 m, advanced
• Las Piscinas – 5–20 m, beginner
• Puerto Pajares wreck – 30 m, advanced

Operators (5)

• Ocean Addicts – dive centre, Tarifa and Conil de la Frontera
• Leon Marino Buceo Tarifa – dive centre, Tarifa
• YellowSub Tarifa – dive centre, Tarifa
• Puerto Buceo – dive centre, El Puerto de Santa María / Tarifa
• Burbujas Buceo Ceuta – dive centre, Ceuta

Routes (2)

• Tarifa guided boat dives (Ocean Addicts)
• Tarifa Island boat and shore dives (Leon Marino)

Site positions are estimates from the island outline and for orientation only — never for navigation. Dive with a local centre, follow protected-area rules and check current and wind on the day.