Spain

A marine reserve with big groupers, eagle rays, current-swept seamounts and historic wrecks for advanced divers.

🤿 In the water: Large groupers, Barracuda and amberjack, Eagle rays, Tuna and other open-water fish, Posidonia seagrass

When: Year-round. Diving runs all year, depending on wind and current. June and September are best.

A quiet volcanic island with a protected marine reserve, groupers, rays and turtles, and a small-village dive culture.

🤿 In the water: Groupers, Rays, Turtles, Barracuda, Volcanic reef life

When: Year-round. Diving runs all year. September to November and late spring are often best, depending on sea conditions.

Rules and fees: The sea off La Restinga has been a protected marine reserve since 1996, and its dive sites use fixed mooring buoys.

Clear water over Posidonia seagrass meadows, with coastal fish and octopus, best outside peak summer.

🤿 In the water: Posidonia seagrass meadows, Coastal fish, Octopus, Turtles (occasional)

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans (occasional, from the boat)

When: Jun-Oct. Snorkelling is comfortable June to October. May-June and mid-September are quieter than high summer.

Easy volcanic scuba diving all year, with a chance to see angel sharks and rays.

🤿 In the water: Angel sharks (look only), Rays, Turtles, Moray eels, Schooling fish

When: Year-round. Diving is possible all year. July to October is warmest and clearest.

Scuba with rare angel sharks, plus pilot whales and dolphins watched from the boat.

🤿 In the water: Angel sharks (look only), Reef fish, Octopus, Rays

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Short-finned pilot whales, Atlantic spotted dolphins (May-Sep, boat), Bottlenose dolphins (year-round, from the boat), Striped dolphins (regular, from the boat)

When: Year-round. Angel sharks and pilot whales may be seen all year, with some seasonal changes.

Seagrass meadows and reef life, best in the quieter months at either end of summer.

🤿 In the water: Posidonia seagrass meadows, Reef fish, Loggerhead turtles (occasional)

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Bottlenose dolphins (resident, from the boat)

When: May-Oct. Diving runs May to October. Late May to June or September avoids the busiest months.

An easy-access coast for freediving skills over protected reefs, seagrass and gorgonians.

🤿 In the water: Posidonia seagrass, Groupers, Gorgonians, Octopus, Moray eels

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans offshore (occasional)

When: Jun, Sep. June or September is best. July and August are hot and busy; winter is too cool.

A protected marine reserve with large groupers, barracuda and red coral, showing Mediterranean recovery.

🤿 In the water: Large groupers, Barracuda, Eagle rays, Red coral, Nudibranchs

When: Mar-Dec. Diving runs March to December. June and September are best; high summer is warmest but busier.

Protected rocky reefs with easy airport access, mixed freediving and scuba, and strong local food.

🤿 In the water: Octopus, Moray eels, Groupers, Nudibranchs, Sunfish (winter, possible)

When: Year-round. Possible all year. May-June and September-October are best; summer is warmest and busiest.

Black sand and volcanic reefs on a quiet Canary island.

🤿 In the water: Volcanic reefs, Rays, Moray eels, Octopus, Barracuda

When: Year-round. Diving runs all year. September to November and late spring are the best windows.

Volcanic landscapes, an underwater museum and winter angel sharks, for freediving and scuba all year.

🤿 In the water: Angel sharks (look only), Rays, Groupers, Barracuda, Turtles

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans

When: Year-round. Possible all year. September-October has warm water; November to April is better for angel sharks.

Protected reserve reefs with groupers, octopus and barracuda, best in June or September.

🤿 In the water: Groupers, Octopus, Moray eels, Barracuda, Reef fish

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Bottlenose dolphins (regular, from the boat), Risso's dolphins (offshore, rare)

When: May-Oct. Diving runs May to October. June is drier; September has warmer water.

Whale and dolphin watching from the boat, including sperm whales, Risso's dolphins and pilot whales.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Sperm whales, Bottlenose dolphins (regular, from the boat), Striped dolphins (offshore), Risso's dolphins (offshore, rare)

When: Year-round. Watching is possible all year when seas allow. Early to mid September is warm and quieter.

An easy, convenient coast for mixed freediving and scuba training.

🤿 In the water: Mediterranean reef and wreck life

When: Year-round. Possible all year. May-June and September-October are the best months.

Spain's historic first marine reserve, with dense fish life, seagrass and wrecks nearby.

🤿 In the water: Dense reserve fish life, Groupers, Posidonia seagrass, Rocky reef life

When: Jun, Sep. The main season is spring to autumn. June and September are best.

Current-driven diving where Atlantic and Mediterranean waters meet, with cetaceans watched from the boat.

🤿 In the water: Atlantic and Mediterranean fish, Open-water fish

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans in the Strait

When: Spring-Autumn. Tarifa is at its best from spring to autumn. The Levante and Poniente winds can reshape any dive day, so plans stay flexible.

Resident pilot whales watched from authorised boats, and one of Europe's last regular angel shark refuges.

🤿 In the water: Angel sharks (look only), Turtles

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Short-finned pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins (year-round, from the boat), Common dolphins (occasional)

When: Year-round. Pilot whales live here all year. April-June or late September-November is quieter.