CORAZON DE MARIA - Cabo de Palos
The Corazón de María isn't about deep exploration; it’s about a vivid, shallow history lesson. This old fishing trawler, just a couple of metres down, feels more like an open-air museum than a wreck. We love how the hull is completely broken up, scattered across the seabed, but in a way that’s still clearly identifiable as a boat. You can trace the deck, pick out the ribs, and even imagine where the wheelhouse once stood. It’s an incredible site for new divers, or anyone who just wants to spend a long, relaxed hour in the shallows. Our favourite part is the light – it floods everything, illuminating the schools of damselfish that dart between the metal fragments. Look closely and you’ll find moray eels tucked into the larger sections of hull, and octopus often perch in the more sheltered crevices. This isn't a site for big pelagics, but for intimate encounters and soaking in the atmosphere of a vessel reclaimed by the sea. If you’re into underwater photography, the Corazón de María offers endless opportunities with that incredible natural light.
- Location
- Cabo de Palos, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 36.757000, -2.227833
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 2m
Marine Protected Area: Cabo de Gata-Níjar
Nearby Dive Sites in Cabo de Palos
- AMISTADA - 24m (wreck)
- ANA M'PORTILLA - 5m (wreck)
- Anthias
- Bajo de Emilio - 24m
- Bajo del Faro - Isla Benidorm - 20m (reef)
- Bajo de Piles II Marine Reserve - 22m
- Bajo de Piles I Marine Reserve - 22m (reef)
- Bajo el Descargador - 15m
- Bajo La Morra - 22m
- Bajo las Palomas Reserve - 19m (reef)
- Cabo San Antonio
- Cabo San Martin
- Cabo Tinoso
- Cala Abierta - 20m
- Cala Cortina
Nearest Dive Centres to CORAZON DE MARIA
Marine Life in Cabo de Palos
Home to 193 recorded species including 138 reef fish, 12 sharks & rays, 11 octopus & squid, 7 whales & dolphins, 5 other, 5 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Mullet (Mullus barbatus) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- Brown Comber (Serranus hepatus) - Reef Fish
- Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) - Octopus & Squid
- Boarfish (Capros aper) - Reef Fish
- dory (Zeus faber) - Reef Fish
- red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) - Reef Fish
- Black-bellied angler (Lophius budegassa) - Reef Fish
- Red Band-fish (Cepola macrophthalma) - Reef Fish
- Curled octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) - Octopus & Squid
- Horse Mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus) - Reef Fish
- Deep-body Pickarel (Spicara smaris) - Reef Fish
- Gunner (Pagellus bogaraveo) - Reef Fish
- conger (Conger conger) - Reef Fish
- axillary sea-bream (Pagellus acarne) - Reef Fish