Tarifa - Diving at the furthest southerly point of Europe

After a minibus shuttle of about 1 hour the dives at the furthest southerly point of Europe will be conducted as 2-tank boat dives.

You’ll be guided on two dives around the island of Las Palomas, part of Los Alcornocales Natural Park and also the southernmost point of the European Continent. Africa is only 14 km away and views across the Strait are breathtaking. On clear days the Minaret of Tanger can be seen.

Tarifa is the furthest southerly city in Europe and here the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Tarifa is also called “the capital of the wind” as it always blowing fiercely here. A wind force of around 3-4 Beaufort is normal – sometimes it is even higher. Because of its consistent winds Tarifa is well known amongst wind- and kite surfers.

At Tarifa the diver can expect crystal clear waters, good visibility and nice rock formations all covered with abundant marine life. Depending on which direction the wind is blowing the dives are done either on the sites of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic side of the island.

The ocean currents, often powerful, flow between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and encourage an overlap of ecosystems as well as an interchange of living organisms, enriching both the fauna and vegetation of the water.

The dives are planned and conducted in reference of the tides. Therefore dive times can vary slightly.

Following some examples of the dive sites:

On the Mediterranean side

The Wall (5 – 25 m)
A vastly impressive vertical wall, bursting with orange and red colours due to the blanket of soft star coral, anemones and nudibranchs. The ideal reef for the macro photographer and a great opportunity to practice your buoyancy skills!

The Hole (5 m)
A pretty cave with magnificent views against the light. The entry to the cave is at a depth of 4 meters. The cave also has an exit on the other site, to the island. In the cave you find lots of crustaceans. Often a visit to this cave is integrated with the dive to the San Andres or the Wall. 

The Wreck of San Andres (30m+) The most popular Tarifa site by far and when you join us for a dive here, you’ll see why! The wreck is the remains of a paddle-steamer that collided with the reef around 150 years ago and settled on the sloping reef. Turtles and Sunfish are regular visitors to the site that is now exploding with life of all varieties. The wreck provides the ideal cleaning station for pelagic species that come in from the Atlantic Ocean.


On the Atlantic side

Morocco Point (30m)
This site is for Advanced Divers only due to occasional strong currents and depth. Some of the biggest and best marine species are often spotted here due to its straddling of the official border between the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Also large groupers and rays can be photographed, while dipping in and out of the jaw-dropping overhangs and tunnels.

The Boilers (5 – 20 m) 
A wreckage known locally as “Las Calderas”, the remains of this cargo ship are spread over a wide area and encompass the most impressive swim-throughs in Tarifa.