These are the best spots to dive in Marbella

With its 27 kilometres of coastline, the town of Marbella is an ideal destination to start scuba diving as it has a few sites very close to the beach that are shallow in depth, perfect for first-timers. It also has locations to delight the more experienced diver. Some of them combine nature with history. Biodiversity is one of the main characteristics of these dive sites recommended by Salvador Galdeano, president of COIS (Official Centre for Underwater Research), a non-profit diving club with some 125 members.

“Anyone who is physically fit can go diving,” he said. “We run courses for people aged 14 and upwards, with no upper age limit. What must take place is a medical examination by a specialised professional,” he pointed out. The waters of Marbella have some particular characteristics: “They are cold and there is a lot of phytoplankton that often make the waters murky, but this also favours biodiversity as they are food to many species, which is why these waters are teeming with life.”

This mineral tower is a perfect spot for both beginner and expert divers. Going to only 12 metres deep at most, it can be accessed from the beach, which makes it a great starting point. The structure, used in the 19th century to load minerals mined in Ojén onto boats, protrudes from the sea, the exposed part covered in molluscs.

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“There are also two sunken fishing boats in the vicinity, which means that there is even more fauna,” added Galdeano. “There are bream, cuttlefish, squid (when in season), even seahorses, although they are difficult to see because they camouflage very well among the gorgonian coral,” he stated. “All the fauna of the Mediterranean is gathered there,” he concluded.

Nearby there was a breeding area for sea bream where the ship that was in charge of its maintenance sank. It was known as the Vivero (Nursery). For a time it became an interesting dive spot. However, over the years the wooden structures disappeared and there is hardly anything left. “In addition, the water becomes turbid very easily with the mud at the bottom,” said the president of COIS, so it is of interest no more.

Off the coast near the Puente Romano resort is another of the sites that one-star (entry-level certification) divers can enjoy with a depth ranging from 13 to 15 metres.

“This is an area where many conger eels come to breed and just hang around,” he said. “You can also see sea slugs, tiny molluscs, and octopuses, although there are fewer and fewer of them,” he pointed out. A good variety of fauna, although less than in Torre del Cable.

“It’s called the Bóvedas [vault] and faces the Roman baths on land, the fishermen also know it as the bank,” explained Galdeano. “There is a seamount [underwater mountain or cliff] some 20 metres below the surface, six miles from the coast and it is very interesting,” he added.

What makes this site special is that “it is a transit area for fish that are bottom feeders but, as it is an area of cliffs and high rocks, the fish pass through there”. “We have brótolas [forkbeard or bertorella, a deep water fish], moray eels, and soft corals, especially the gorgonian variety.” Depth goes from 20 to 35 metres: “People with one star [up to 25 metres] can dive there, as long as the currents allow it,” he explained.

This is the best of Marbella’s dive spots as recommended by Galdeano. With large rock formations between three and four metres high and a depth ranging from approximately 33 to 35 metres, it is one land mile from Las Bóvedas in the direction of Malaga.

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“It is very interesting because it has archaeological remains, with Phoenician anchors, since it was an area frequented by this civilisation, as well as nature,” he stated. “Here we have some Mediterranean corals: red coral and dendrophyllia ramea, which is a very beautiful coral with yellow branches and this is one of the few areas where they remain,” he explained.

“This is a French galleon that ran aground opposite San Pedro Alcántara when fleeing from one of the battles against the English.” It is seven metres down and can be accessed from the coast, which makes it within easy reach. In addition, “It is suitable for all diver levels since it is a wreck where you can find lots of fish and it is also great fun for those who have a good level of diving.”