Diving enthusiasts couldn’t be more spoilt at the Costa del Sol! With year round sunshine and warm water, not to mention fabulous dive sites at Fuengirola and Gibraltar for example, this part of Spain is a diving paradise.
The lucky few who live at the Spanish coast all year round have not regretted their move, despite turbulent waters, economically speaking. Owning a holiday home or year-round property at the Costa del Sol has never been so cheap, with banks selling off their property portfolios at cut price reductions and with amazing finance deals.
The popular resorts of Benalmadena and Fuengirola are just a short drive from Marbella, one of the most Mediterranean resorts on the entire coast and a favourite with water sport fans from around the world. At diving sites like the Torreblanca House Reef or at La Torre (the Tower), divers can go to depth of 3 to 6 meters and 8 to 12 meters respectively with an average diving time of around 30 to 50 minutes. Various schools and clubs offer boat dives and tuition for both beginners and advanced divers.
At the various Gibraltar sites, just over one hour’s drive from Marbella and Fuengirola, divers can go down to depth of between 6 and 30 meters with an average dive time of between 30 and 45 minutes. Here shore dives are offered by various clubs and schools, exploring wrecks that were specifically sunk for the enjoyment of divers. The visibility is between 5 and 15 meters while the water temperature ranges from 16 to 20 degrees C, depending on the time of year. There are rays, octopus, wrasse and star gazers to be seen, not to mention a few eels lurking in the wrecks!
Historic wrecks are also a temptation for divers, with the wreck of the Menapier, a cargo ship which sank on 11th November 1917, lying just on the doorstep between Fuengirola and Punta de Calaburra. Located in approximately 30 to 40 meter depth and being 110 m long and 15 m wide, the Menapier offers divers a mooring line, which takes them down to an average descent of 35 meters.
Other sites at the Costa del Sol are at Nerja for example, a small town nestling at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. There are no fewer than 10 dive sites in the Nerja region, ranging in depth from 3 to 6 meters and offering wall, reef and cave diving, which is easily accessible from the beach. The best dive sites are within the Cerro Gordo National Park, where marine life is in abundance and divers can see creatures like Conger eel, cuttle fish, sunfish, wrasse and octopus in their natural habitat.
At the Tarifa diving sites, located at the most southern tip of Europe and about a couple of hours’ drive from Benalmadena and Marbella, divers can explore island habitats located in the Los Alcornocales National Park. Diving in the crystal clear waters, where wall and reef dives are on offer, is an unforgettable experience, especially as there are several wrecks, sunk at different points of the island to provide dives at between 6 to 30 meters. Tarifa is the only location at the Costa del Sol where turtles can be spotted in their natural environment. Other stars of the Tarifa underwater landscape are Conger eels, spider crabs, lobsters, rays and dolphins.
Although seafront property anywhere in Marbella or Fuengirola is expensive, there are various developments a little further inland, which are within a short drive of the coast and which offer excellent value for money. Many cash-strapped banks are trying to off-load their property portfolios at rock bottom prices. A significant number of these properties are in golf resort locations, which means that for the part of the year that divers are not using their property they can offset their costs (air travel, taxes and maintenance) by letting the holiday home to golfers.
Scuba diving in Estepona and Marbella takes place on dive sites dotted around along a 50 km stretch of Mediterranean coast. The main sites are located between 5 to 30 minute journey by either boat or car. Playa de Casares for example is located some 15 km from Estepona and offers marine life such as Conger eels and seahorses, groupers, spider crabs, dolphins and trigger fish.