CHIQUI - Costa Brava
The Chiqui is one of those Mediterranean wrecks we genuinely love, a proper time capsule dropped onto the seabed. This isn't some broken-up pile of metal; it's a 45-meter motor vessel largely intact, sitting upright at 21 meters. The hold is still open, inviting you in for a peek, and the wheelhouse has a surprising amount of detail remaining. We often find ourselves just hovering, imagining its last moments. What makes the Chiqui special is the way marine life has embraced it. Schools of barracuda patrol the mast, and you'll find conger eels peering out from almost every nook and cranny. The deck is carpeted in colourful nudibranchs, and we always spot a few scorpionfish camouflaged against the rust. It’s an easy dive, perfect for advanced open water divers looking to explore a proper wreck without deep decompression penalties. For us, the best time to visit is late morning when the sun hits the deck just right, illuminating the structure. Just watch out for occasional fishing lines, they can be a nuisance.
- Location
- Costa Brava, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 41.094166, 1.226389
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 21m
Marine Protected Area: Costes del Tarragonès
Best Time to Dive in Costa Brava
The warmest water temperatures in Costa Brava occur in August, averaging 23.7°C. The coolest conditions are in January at 11.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 11.2°C
- February: 11.4°C
- March: 12.7°C
- April: 14.5°C
- May: 17.5°C
- June: 21.5°C
- July: 23.5°C
- August: 23.7°C
- September: 22.0°C
- October: 19.3°C
- November: 15.6°C
- December: 12.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Costa Brava
- ADONE - 10m (wreck)
- ALICE ROBERT - 46m (wreck)
- ANDRES Y MARIA - 25m (wreck)
- Aquablue
- ASTREE - 38m (wreck)
- AVVENIRE - 0m (wreck)
- BENSU - 10m (wreck)
- BOREAS - 26m (wreck)
- CABO CULLERA - 1m (wreck)
- Cala Canyelles
- Cala Culip
- Cala Margarida
- Cala Pedrosa
- CALA PINAR - 13m (wreck)
- Cala Viuda
Nearest Dive Centres to CHIQUI
Marine Life in Costa Brava
Home to 46 recorded species including 36 reef fish, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 sharks & rays, 1 worms, 1 seagrass & algae, 1 other.
Notable Species
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Capelin (Trisopterus capelanus) - Reef Fish
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish
- Scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna) - Reef Fish
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- axillary sea-bream (Pagellus acarne) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic Spotted Flounder (Citharus linguatula) - Reef Fish
- Horse Mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- conger (Conger conger) - Reef Fish
- Long-finned Gurnard (Chelidonichthys obscurus) - Reef Fish
- Mullet (Mullus barbatus) - Reef Fish
- Red Band-fish (Cepola macrophthalma) - Reef Fish
- Rockfish (Scorpaena notata) - Reef Fish
- pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) - Reef Fish
- sprat (Sprattus sprattus) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for CHIQUI
Based on average water temperature of 17.1°C, currents 2 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 17°C water
- Hood & Gloves (3-5mm) - helps retain warmth
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories