Diving and snorkelling on the Costa del Sol

The Málaga Mediterranean is not the Caribbean, but it has corners with genuinely respectable marine life and, above all, one first-rate protected area: the Maro-Cerro Gordo Cliffs. That’s where diving and snorkelling in this province get seriously interesting.

Try-dive (bautismo de buceo)

This is the way in: a first dive with an instructor, no qualification needed, at shallow depth. It includes a short briefing on land or in a pool, all the equipment, and 20 to 40 minutes underwater accompanied throughout.

• Minimum age is typically 8-10 (children’s try-dives) or 12 for an open-water dive.
• Total time: 2-3 hours including preparation.
• Typical price: €60-90.
• You’ll complete a medical declaration; certain conditions (respiratory, cardiac, ear problems) rule it out.

Where to dive

• Maro-Cerro Gordo (Nerja): the best seabed in the province. Walls, caves, Posidonia meadows and good visibility.
• Marbella and Estepona: plenty of dive centres and some sunken wrecks acting as artificial reefs.
• Benalmádena and Fuengirola: convenient bases, more modest seabeds but easy logistics.
• Caleta de Vélez: trips out of the Axarquía’s fishing port.

Snorkelling: free, and almost as good

You don’t need a tank to see things. With a mask and snorkel, the best spots are:

• Las Alberquillas and the other Maro coves: the best snorkelling in Málaga, no argument.
• El Peñoncillo (Torrox): a small reef around the rock.
• Carabeo and the Nerja coves, hugging the rocks at either end.
• Punta Chullera (Manilva): rocky seabeds at the western edge of the province.

What you’ll see

Sea bream, salema, damselfish, red mullet, octopus, cuttlefish and, with luck, a grouper or a shoal of barracuda at Maro. The Posidonia meadows are the key Mediterranean habitat: don’t stand on them or anchor over them.

When to go

Visibility is best from June to October, and the water is warmest in August and September. Avoid the days after a strong easterly or heavy rain: the water turns cloudy and you lose half the point.