Another world under the sea
22 de June 2023
Texto
Anna Burgstaller
Fotos
Turismo Canarias

Perhaps because scuba diving favours an escape from the routine and stress accumulated in day-to-day life, it is gaining more and more followers year after year. It is also one of the most complete water sports. Underwater, silence and tranquillity envelop everything. The absence of sound is only disturbed by the bubbling of the regulator and the sound of breathing, which becomes slow and deep. Under the sea, everything happens slowly. Without the burden of gravity, with each flutter kick, the sensation of peace and tranquillity is unique.

 

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Spain boasts an infinite number of places for diving and scuba diving along its coastlines. This attracts lovers of this sport who travel eager to discover some of the best diving spots in Europe. The weather conditions allow diving to take place at any time of the year, not only in the different waters that bathe the mainland, but also in the archipelagos.

 

El Hierro, Canary Islands

If there is an iconic diving destination in Spain, it is undoubtedly El Hierro, in the Canary Islands. Its crystal-clear waters have an average annual temperature of 21ºC, with minimums of 18ºC and maximums of 25ºC, making it the ideal habitat for marine species such as rays, turtles, tuna, dolphins, barracudas, puffer fish... A biodiversity that arises thanks to the currents that occur in the archipelago, coming from both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The variety is also the result of the volcanic eruptions that took place in 2011 and which regenerated the island's seabed. Declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Geopark, El Hierro has a visibility of more than 30 metres and offers a true spectacle of life and beauty under the sea.

 

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Illes Medes, Catalonia

Made up of seven small islands and a number of islets, the archipelago of the Medes Islands (in Catalan: Illes Medes) is the underwater paradise of the Costa Brava and one of the most highly praised destinations in the Mediterranean. Located near the beach of Estartit (Girona), its waters hide a biodiversity with hundreds of different animal species, as well as various types of algae, corals and different species of starfish, among many others. The most adventurous and expert divers can take speleological routes through the different underwater caves or even visit a sunken ship. An experience that, without a doubt, leaves no one unmoved.

 

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Cabo de Gata, Andalusia

Another of the favourite destinations for scuba diving is in Andalusia. Almeria hides one of the country's most prized natural wonders: Cabo de Gata. Classified as a Maritime-Terrestrial Natural Park, it offers divers excellent conditions for discovering its marine treasures: a good climate, crystal-clear and shallow waters. Posidonia, an endemic Mediterranean plant that is currently in danger of extinction, is one of the gifts hidden in its waters, in addition to the great biodiversity of spectacular fish.

 

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 Cíes Islands, Galicia

Although the water temperature in the Atlantic is higher on average than in the Mediterranean, there are some places where diving becomes an unforgettable experience. These places include the Cíes Islands, located to the south of Galicia and which since 2002 have formed part of the Parque Nacional das Illas Atlánticas, so the diversity of its underwater ecosystems is hard to match. Gorgonians, seahorses, octopus, conger eels, sea urchins, moray eels, sea rabbits, spider crabs, lobsters, cuttlefish, rays, starfish, these are just some of the numerous species that divers, whether more or less experienced, can see under the Galician waters.

 

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