Dive trip L'Estartit, Costa Brava

Stay, Diving holidays in Spain, in L'Estartit, Costa Brava

You don't have many days for your diving holiday? Just a long weekend? Then consider going to L'Estartit, a small seaside resort on the Costa Brava, in the north-east of Spain, along the Mediterranean coast, 48 km from Girona and 59 km from Roses, not far from Girona-Costa Brava airport. From April to September, neoprene wetsuits dry on the balconies of rental flats, restaurants offer special (hearty!) meals for groups of divers, and dive boats line up at attention in the harbor, ready to set sail. A magnificent filling station on the quay allows air, nitrox, and trimix cylinders to be loaded onto pallet trucks on board the boats, with a notable saving in time and energy. Non-divers will be pleased to find that L'Estartit has cheap and very pleasant hotels close to the port, nice shops, a small white sandy beach close to the boats, and nice walks and mountain bike rides to do. From l'Estartit, divers can reach a major diving destination: the Medes Islands. This is an archipelago of 7 islands and islets that have been uninhabited since 1934, with no harbor or beach, and is located 1 km from the coast.

This archipelago is protected by the Montgri, Medes, and Baix Ter Natural Park, with a ban on fishing dating back to 1983 and total protection of the fauna and flora, which are therefore exuberant. Dolphins can be seen regularly. This beautiful biodiversity is not only due to the reserve effect but also to the nutrients carried by the nearby Ter River. Many pre-installed moorings for boats are placed around these islands to avoid damaging the seabed by dropping anchor. Diving is regulated, with fees payable for access to the sites. Snorkeling in the Medes Islands is an excellent way to get to know the fish of the Mediterranean. So decide to take a first dive with the Unisub diving center in L'Estartit, which also organizes half-day boat trips for experienced divers, not only around the Medes but also along the coastline. If you are a large group, don't hesitate to ask for the group formula. Please note that not all the dives in your package will take place around the Medes Islands, as this depends on the number of divers on these sites. Swarms of peacock wrasse will accompany you on your underwater journey. Most of the dive sites in the Medes Islands are at different depths, making them accessible to both beginners and more experienced divers. This topography of the sea bed allows for all PADI courses from Scuba Diver to Divemaster as well as scuba diving specialties such as orientation, night diving, object recovery, or freediving.

You can tell us about your dives with groupers, barracudas, wrasse, and compact schools of two banded bream because we found them really exceptional! It is sometimes possible to see a moonfish (mola-mola) at the surface. To optimize your diving holiday in L'Estartit, you should know that the itinerant formula is ideal for autonomous divers, from 340 euros (without the journey). It lasts 3 days, and 2 nights and includes 6 dives (with your own equipment) in L'Estartit. The Family Discovery and Group Outing packages are perfect for 6 days and 7 nights with breakfast or full board. A good place to stay in L'Estartit is the Medes II Hotel, 200 meters from the beach, run by Narcis and his family. The rooms have reversible air conditioning and have been recently refurbished, with bathrooms equipped with a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi connection. A rich buffet breakfast is served until 10 am. The restaurant offers a plated service with very tasty Catalan cuisine. Divers can store, rinse and spread their equipment in a bungalow next to the pool. Many activities are available from the Medes II, including mountain biking and walking.

Marine species in the area

Dive sites

The playground around the Medes Islands has concentrated around a dozen dive sites. You make a very nice dive around Pedra de Déu, a small reef that emerges one meter above the surface of the water. Stroll around big rocks at 20 meters of depth, in the middle of groupers, sea breams. Then, at around 40 meters, walk along vertical drop-offs, covered with sumptuous orange gorgonians. At the island of Meda Gran, go north to Pota del Llop, to walk along the plummeting drop-off at a depth of 40 meters. You will feel the coolness of the thermocline at two degrees below the ambient water temperature! To the north-west of the island, protected from the south winds, you plunge to Salpatxot into a labyrinth formed by the proximity of large rocks. Their walls are covered with red and yellow gorgonians, between 12 and 15 meters deep, much to the delight of underwater photographers who can also see the passage of groupers, red scorpionfish, dentex, and white seabream.

Planted in the ground, large mother-of-pearl of the Pinna Nobilis type are visible among the Posidonia. La Vaca is a luminous tunnel of beautiful dimension, crossing the island from one side to the other, and, on the north side, its walls are covered with yellow and red gorgonians where anthias are twirling around, with moray eels and lobsters in the holes. You have a nice surprise on the island Meda Petita, because along its eastern side, north of the Dofí tunnel, you come face to face with an underwater statue of a dolphin! The sun penetrates through all the rocky crevices, so there are very pretty plays of light at the ends of the tunnels, the longest of which is at a depth of 27 meters, with the opalescent light of the backlights bringing out the divers' silhouettes. There are beautiful pictures of the atmosphere here as well as macro photography with scorpion fish, cicadas and spinous squat lobster. Here we can see forkbeard.

Between the islands Meda Petita and Tascó Petit, we explore the surroundings of the small islet of Ferranelles, lacerated with anfractuosities where we can observe colorful nudibranchs. Set off on the south side of the islet, as the rocky scree bottom tumbles down to a place where eagle rays can sometimes be seen! Large boulders cover the bottom around the islets Petit Tascó, Carall Bernat, and Grand Tascó. We can thus invent several itineraries in these places with the most fish in the archipelago with lots of Salema and barracudas and a particularly high concentration of groupers. The islet Tascó Gros emerges from 41 meters above the surface and its deeper northern slope is particularly beautiful with its sumptuous red and yellow fluffy gorgonians from 20 meters upwards.

Others Activities

L'Estartit, Costa Brava : Dive shops

Unisub
Spain - l’Estartit (Girona)
French

The Unisub diving centre is located in l'Estartit, on the Costa Brava, Spain, 30 kilometres from the town of Girona. Unisub's premises are also adapted to accommodate groups with full equipment hire, a repair workshop, a conference and projection room, and transport of equipment to the boats. Your personal equipment can be stored on the premises. Embark on 2 to 4 sea trips per day, depending on the season. The instructors of the Unisub training centre generally welcome you in your own language to follow the PADI and FFESSM courses, from baptism to Rescue Diver. They make it a point of honour to satisfy their clients. The best spots in L'Estartit are located in the nature reserve of the Medes Islands, popular with divers from all over Europe. This small archipelago is a beautiful natural site in Catalonia, located one mile from L'Estartit. Composed of seven islets, several reefs offer very interesting underwater routes. The coastline extends underwater in steep drop-offs with underwater caves. At Unisub you will enjoy a programme with a mix of the best dive sites in l'Estartit, either on the coast with Les Salines, Negre del Falaguer, El Rossinyol, Puig de la Sardina, La Pedrosa, El Reggio, La Ferriola, or around the Medes Islands with El Salpatxot, Pedra de Déu, El Medallot, Pota de Llop, La Vaca. Take advantage of Unisub's great prices with the hotel or flat stays including 10 dives. A good little restaurant serves as a canteen for divers and offers a daily menu. Unisub is a very well known centre for former divers as it exists since 1960. [+]

Welcome groups
Protected Marine Park
Near beach

From 20,00 €

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La Sirena
Spain - L'Estartit
French

La Sirena is located in the L'Estartit Seaside Resort, on the Costa Brava Mediterranean coast, in Catalonia, Spain. Open from April to November. Diving with them, you’ll explore the sub-basins of the Medes Islands, declared Reserve and National Park since 1990. Very popular among European divers. On location, possibility of FFESSM training and snorkeling. Swimming from the boats, after the dives, during the summer months. You’ll find plenty of ingenious facilities at La Sirena which has a great and long experience in welcoming divers. Lockable equipment storage boxes provided by the Center. No more tedious rinsing with a now automated hot air dryer so that your suit is nice and ready for your next dive. Their very comfortable boats are equipped with lifts to help the divers board without breaking their backs going up a ladder. The must is the hot shower on the Sirena 2 ! In partnership with the warm, family and very welcoming Flamingo Hotel, located in the Natural Park of Montgri, 300 m from the beach. Kite surfing, climbing, golf, cycling and hiking. Also possible to rent Alga flats next to the hotel, opposite the pool. Air conditioning and heating in the dining room. Free Wifi and satellite TV. Car park available at an extra charge. [+]