Spain – Valencia coast (Columbretes, Costa Blanca, Tabarca)

The Valencian coast mixes remote volcanic reserve diving with easy Mediterranean coves. Offshore, the Illes Columbretes marine reserve is dived only with prior authorisation and from fixed mooring buoys, with day trips from Castellón and Alcossebre. On the Costa Blanca the Dénia–Xàbia stretch has the Cabo de San Antonio reserve (a permit is needed), the cliff-ringed Illa del Descobridor off Cap de la Nau, the Moraig cave near Benitatxell and boat dives such as María Claudia. Calpe's municipal routes around the Peñón de Ifach cover boulder fields with arches, walls and a submerged bar; Altea has the Elephant and Dwarf's caves, and Benidorm has the island and the deeper La Llosa pinnacles in the Serra Gelada park. At La Vila Joiosa the 1st-century Bou Ferrer Roman wreck is open to divers only a few months a year, and further south the Tabarca reserve (Spain's oldest, 1986) is dived with a permit from Santa Pola. Sites are taken from the Generalitat Valenciana's dive-site pages, Calpe's municipal route pages, the official reserve leaflet and dive-centre sites; many positions are estimates.

Facts

• Best season: Diveable all year; PADI gives May to October as the high season and the Dénia contributor favours April–June plus September–October (calmer, good water temperature). The Columbretes day trips run in the warmer months only
• Water temperature: About 14–16 °C in winter, 15–18 °C in spring, 20–25 °C in autumn; PADI gives 25 °C for August and suggests a 5 mm wetsuit
• Permits: Columbretes (Castellón Government Sub-delegation; buoys only), Tabarca (Generalitat for inner waters, Alicante Sub-delegation for outer waters) and the Cabo de San Antonio reserve need prior authorisation; Bou Ferrer visits run only a few months a year
• Roman wreck: Bou Ferrer at La Vila Joiosa: about 25 m, 1st century CE, special permission, advanced certification and 35 dives required, run by Ali-Sub

Season

• Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct
• Acceptable: Apr, Jul, Aug, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
• Water temperature: 14–25 °C

Diveable all year. Water is about 14–16 °C in winter and about 25 °C in August; Columbretes trips run in the warmer months only. Ask the operator for the exact season and quota.

Dive sites (25)

Calpe – Benidorm – Vila Joiosa

• Acantilados de Ifach – Calpe – 17–26 m, advanced
• Bou Ferrer Roman wreck – La Vila Joiosa (permit, short season) – 25 m, advanced
• Cueva del Elefante – Altea – 14 m, intermediate
• El Racó cove – Calpe (Peñón de Ifach) – 3–14 m, beginner
• Isla de Benidorm (Illa de Benidorm) – beginner
• La Bodega – Calpe – 17–27 m, advanced
• La Llosa – Benidorm (Serra Gelada) – 7–30 m, intermediate
• Las Redes – Calpe (Peñón de Ifach north face) – 15–20 m, intermediate
• Los Arcos – Calpe (Peñón de Ifach north face) – 8–9 m, intermediate
• Mascarat – Calpe – 3–15 m, intermediate
• Morro de Toix – Calpe – intermediate
• The Second Llosa (La Llosa 2) – Benidorm – 32–43 m, advanced

Dénia – Xàbia – Cap de la Nau

• El Moraig cave – Poble Nou de Benitatxell – advanced
• Illa del Descobridor – Cap de la Nau – advanced
• La Cullerà – Dénia (Cabo de San Antonio reserve, permit) – 9–15 m, intermediate
• La Granadella – Xàbia – intermediate
• María Claudia – Xàbia – 11–22 m, intermediate

Columbretes Islands

• Inner Grossa (Illa Grossa, buoy 8) – Columbretes – 4–15 m, intermediate
• La Ferrera – Columbretes – advanced
• La Foradada – Columbretes – 18–30 m, advanced
• Outer Grossa (channel to El Mascarat) – Columbretes – 35 m, advanced

Valencia coast (Sagunto – Cullera)

• Las Corvas – Cullera – 19 m, intermediate
• SS Coila wreck – Sagunto – 33 m, advanced

Tabarca – Santa Pola

• Outer Tabarca (rock slab, outer waters) – Tabarca marine reserve (permit) – 19–25 m, intermediate
• Tabarca inner waters (Escull Negre, artificial reef, La Galera, Escull Roig) – marine reserve (permit) – 0–40 m, intermediate

Operators (11)

• Charters Casamar – dive centre, Castelló de la Plana (Real Club Náutico de Castellón)
• Barracuda Buceo – dive centre, Alcossebre (Puerto deportivo Las Fuentes)
• Mon Diving – dive centre, Dénia (Marina el Portet)
• Diving Javea – dive centre, Xàbia (Jávea)
• Buceo Cabo La Nao – dive centre, Xàbia (Marina Nou Fontana)
• Dive&Dive – dive centre, Calp (Real Club Náutico Calpe)
• Celacanto – dive centre, Altea
• Revolution Dive – dive centre, Benidorm (Puerto Comercial)
• Ali-Sub – dive centre, La Vila Joiosa (Club Náutico)
• Scuba Elx – dive centre, Santa Pola
• Dive Academy Santa Pola – dive centre, Santa Pola (Marina Miramar)

Routes (11)

• Columbretes day trip (Charters Casamar)
• Columbretes dives and charters (Barracuda Buceo)
• Altea and Benidorm daily dive trips (Celacanto)
• Benidorm island boat dives (Revolution Dive)
• Isla de Benidorm and La Llosa (Ali-Sub)
• Discover and refresher dives at El Racó (Dive&Dive)
• Moraig cave excursions (Diving Javea)
• Daily boat dives Cabo de la Nao, Dénia, Moraira (Buceo Cabo La Nao)
• Cabo San Antonio marine reserve dives (Mon Diving)
• Tabarca marine reserve dives (Scuba Elx)
• Tabarca dive and snorkel trips (Dive Academy Santa Pola)

Site positions are estimates (only the Columbretes buoys are officially published) and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Permits, quotas and seasons change; confirm them with the issuing body or a licensed dive centre. Dive with a local centre and follow protected-area rules.