Diving in Catalonia

Catalonia, or Cataluña as it is known in Spanish, is an autonomous region in the northeastern corner of Spain.

Made up of three distinct areas, it has something to offer every diver. Considered by some to host a few of the best and least know diving sites in Spain, there are a range of underwater rock formations, sea mountains and cliffs, coral, and a few shipwrecks to explore too.

On the Costa Brava, the most popular dive destination, you’ll find Los Ullastres, a series of three underwater peaks, Cap de Creus, a Maritime and Terrestrial Nature Reserve, the protected seabed the Medes Islands, and the Formigues Islands - home to a few shipwrecks.

The metropolitan area of Barcelona offers several different dive sites, but just half an hour’s drive outside the city the more adventurous diver will find a different underwater landscape which includes sea meadows, cliff faces and the odd shipwreck. In the summer, don’t be surprised to see some underwater “eel fights”.

Tarragona, the most southern region, is home to the least known dive sites. Suitable for the more technical and advanced divers, El Cavour, a shipwrecked steamboat from 1917, and lying about 52m (170ft) down, is worth exploring.