Diving in La Manga
La Manga offers some of the best diving in Spain. Although few northern
European divers have heard of it, it is invaded on a regular basis –
particularly at weekends – by divers from elsewhere in Spain.
The Islas Hormigas marine reserve is the main attraction, but Spanish divers
are also drawn to La Manga by the excellent shore dives, wreck dives, cavern
dives and reef dives which lie close to, but outside, the reserve itself.
Please note, local diving regulations state that you should be aged 16 years
or over to scuba dive, that you should be medically fit and that you should have
personal diving insurance.
Popular Dive Sites in La Manga
Shore dives and the easier boat dives are ideal for novices, but also
interesting and enjoyable for more experienced divers. And there are plenty of
more challenging wreck, reef and cavern dives in the area.
Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve
Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve was established by the Spanish Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (and the Murcia regional equivalent) in 1995. A
handful of local fishermen are still permitted to fish the reserve – to preserve
their traditional way of life. All other fishing is banned and scuba divers must
obtain a permit to dive the reserve.
The inner reserve has four dive sites – Bajo de Testa, Piles 1, Piles 2 and
Bajo de Dentro. Of these, Piles 1, Piles 2 and Bajo de Dentro are the more
challenging and interesting dives. All three are pinnacles or submerged
mountains, with maximum depths of 28m+. All the sites are buoyed. You will
almost always see barracuda, grouper, dentex, moray eels and a multitude of
smaller fish on these sites. Bajo de Dentro has the added attraction of a large
cavern at around 22m.
La Manga Wrecks, Reefs, Caverns
Cala Fria, Cala Correo and Cala Reona, all close to the small port of Cabo de
Palos, are the most popular shore dive sites in the area. Cala Fria and Cala
Reona are gravel and sand beaches respectively. Both have bottoms which slope
steadily to maximum depths of 7 to 10 metres, which makes them ideal for
beginners or experienced divers who haven’t dived for a while. Cala Correo has a
small gravel beach and is a little more challenging. Maximum depth is 18 metres
and access is via a staircase set into a low cliff. Cala Fria, Cala Correo and
Cala Reona are very enjoyable and (once you get in the water) relaxing reef
dives. Expect to see lots of smaller fish, lots of colourful sponges, sea
urchins, sea grass, the occasional octopus and maybe even cuttlefish, moray eel
or hermit crab.
La Laja, El Farallon and Isla Grosa are easily accessible by boat from Puerto
Tomás Maestre (towards the North end of La Manga strip). Each of these dive
sites has something unique. La Laja is a completely submerged reef with a canyon
to the north and has been the subject of a marine archeological investigation
for the last two summers (looking for remains of a Phoenician shipwreck). El
Farallon used to be used for target practice by the Spanish armed forces and is
surrounded underwater by large boulders and chips of rock blasted from the
island. Isla Grosa has two caverns – both shallow and one of which is open to
the air for most of its length. Divers on these three sites usually see lots of
smaller fish, lots of colourful sponges, sea urchins, sea grass. Octopus and
moray eels are frequently seen. Barracuda, grouper and dentex are occasional
visitors. From time to time, smaller nudibranchs (flabellinidae) are seen.
El Naranjito, Turia and Ulla are three of the shallowest wrecks in La Manga, but
all are deep enough to make PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent) and
experience of deep diving essential. El Naranjito or Isla Gomera sank in a storm
off Cabo de Palos in 1946. She gets her nickname from the cargo of oranges she
was carrying – which reputedly caused her to sink when they shifted during the
storm. A shot line is attached to the bow at about 27 metres and the deck at the
stern lies at about 35m. Occasional strong currents make this a challenging
dive. Turia and Ulla were both minesweepers until they were sunk as artificial
reefs around 10 years ago. They are a few hundred metres apart off the La Manga
coast in just under 35 metres of water. Turia is almost completely flat – her
hull split along the keel sometime after sinking. Ulla is in much better
condition, with the top of the wreck at a depth of around 28 metres. Ulla is in
two large pieces – the bow and stern sections lie a small distance apart on the
sea bed.
More information:
For more information about diving in La Manga, please contact Mervyn
Patterson at La Manga Dive School
Contact details:
La Manga Dive School SL
Centro Comercial Dársena Cero, Local 27
La Manga del Mar Menor
Murcia 30380
Tel: (+34) 968 14 37 81
Mobile: (+34) 600 80 75 80
E-mail: info@lamangadiveschool.co.uk
Website: La Manga
Dive School |
