Review, Scuba Diving in Canary Islands

If you are planning a diving trip to the Canary Islands, keep in mind that the Canary Islands are one of the best diving destination in Europe. This archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean, is composed of 7 main islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. You will have the choice between volcanic landscapes or primary forests. Each island is different in its history and culture but all are of great interest to the diver who will linger there.

THE BEST PLACES TO DIVE IN THE CANARIES

Diving in Lanzarote

If you are planning a diving holiday in Lanzarote, know that the island has everything to seduce the divers but also the nature lovers. When you visit Lanzarote for the first time, you will be struck by the harmony of its arid, semi-desert and green landscapes as well as by its picturesque villages. In addition to the island’s natural wealth, Lanzarote hides another treasure that lies underwater, full of color and life. And it is for these reasons that, since 1993, the island has been classified as a biosphere reserve by Unesco. In the various amazing diving sites of Lanzarote, the most famous is probably the Museo Atlantico. Located in Playa Blanca, this underwater museum is the only one of its kind in Europe and consists of 35 sculptures by artist Jason de Caires Taylor. In addition, the dive site is already colonized by flora and fauna and attracts many divers of all levels. You can also visit the diving sites of the Chinijo Archipelago: the burrera and las canas. If you are in Puerto del Carmen, dive sites not to be missed are: El muelitto y la playa and veril de playa chica.

Diving in Tenerife

The island of Tenerife enjoys an exceptional geographical situation. Located 115 km from the coast of Morocco, Tenerife is the largest and the most populous island dominating the highest peak in Spain, the Teide 3,718 meters that will delight hikers. Tenerife is also a unique place to dive. The cities of Las Galletas and Costa Adeje concentrate the majority of the island’s scuba diving activity. The many diving clubs of Lanzarote offer divers to go to a variety of spots, including: the caves of Cueva Palm Mar or Cueva Ali-Baba, the arches of Coral Arch, the wreck of Condesito or Chuchos, the falling and underwater pinnacles.

Diving in El Hierro

It is the smallest of the Canary Islands and the farthest off the coast of Morocco. This island of volcanic origin has experienced many eruptions that have shaped, over the millennia, its triangular shape so special. This wild island, the least populated of the canaries, is a haven for travelers looking for a peaceful and relaxing place. Moreover, the island has been recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO since the 2000s and has been able to use the abundant renewable energies at its disposal to become self-sufficient in terms of energy. El Hierro is admired for the clarity of its waters, its tortuous underwater landscapes and the possibility of encountering large pelagics such as devil rays and sharks. The village of La Restinga is the area of the island that concentrates the majority of local diving centers. It has become the gateway to the marine reserve “Mar de las Calmas” and its beautiful dive sites.

Gran Canary Islands

Gran Canaria, off the northwestern coast of Africa, is known for its white and black sand beaches. To the north, the capital: Las Palmas is an important stop for liveaboards of Canary Islands. Some of the Canary liveaboards are parts of the best liveaboards in europe. The carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the most important of the Canary Islands. On June 29, 2005, Gran Canaria was recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

Fuerteventura

Fortaventura is located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the second largest island in the Canary Islands in terms of area and closest to the African continent, at exactly 97 kilometers from the coast of Morocco, where its very favorable weather conditions, between 20 ° C and 30 ° C due to a hot wind from the Sahara. Fuertaventura is a very popular destination with its white sand beaches. The island is known for its protected nature reserve: Isla de Logos which offers more than 20 different diving spots. It can be said that this is probably the best place to dive in the Canary Island.

Gomera

Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Canary Islands Gomera is, in size, the second smallest island of the archipelago. The Garajonay National Park, classified by Unesco, is in the center of the island. La Gomera is characterized by steep volcanic mountains crossed by hiking trails and black sand beaches due to the volcano. In San Sebastián, located on the east of the island, there is a diving spot accessible to all levels and popular with divers for its biodiversity. You can see butterfly stripes, barracudas, turtles and even moon fish.

La Palma

La Palma, formerly San Miguel de La Palma, is in the northwest of the Canary Islands. The mountainous island of triangular form consists of 3 volcanoes: in the north, Caldeira de Taburiente, in the southwest, Cumbre Vieja and in between, the Cumbre Nueva volcano. The National Park of Caldera de Taburiente, is a protected area of this island, covered with a pine forest in which you can discover many waterfalls and underground rivers which constitute an extraordinary ground for the fans of trekking. South of the island, the famous diving site called Malpique Tour requires a good level of diving with its 45 meters deep and black coral cover. You can only dive there when the sea conditions are favorable.

WHEN TO GO? BEST PERIODS

The Canary Islands offer an eternal spring. The average temperature varies between 18 ° C in winter and 24 ° C in summer. July and August are the hottest months of the year, but the temperature rarely exceeds 38 ° C. In January and February, the accommodation rates are the highest because of the high number of tourists during this period. In May-June and September-November, the temperatures are not very different from the summer, but the number of tourists is less important. The best time to dive in the Canary Islands is between April and October.

DIVING CONDITIONS

• The visibility is very good, generally reaching 30 meters.
• The currents are not very strong in the marine reserve and you can dive without fear.
• Required diving level: You will find, without difficulty, a challenge adapted to your diving level. The most experienced divers will find great pass through the caves or explore the depths of these places.
• The temperature of the water oscillates between 20 ° C and 24 ° C.

WHAT TO SEE IN DIVING IN MARINE?

The Canary Islands offer majestic underwater worlds and visibility over 30 meters. With a very abundant fauna and flora, the canaries have very few coral reefs but the fish are very present such as rays, groupers, lutians, crabs, sea urchins, nudibranchs, seahorses and also the local star: the angel shark. In fact, the Canary Islands have 550 different species of fish and over 1000 invertebrates. The seabed resembles a terrestrial landscape because the islands are of volcanic origin. Depending on the choice of the island, the fauna, flora and underwater landscapes can be different. The waters of the Canaries host the largest marine reserve in Europe.