CIUDAD DE BARCELONA - Costa Brava
The Ciudad de Barcelona, just off the Costa Brava, is a proper chunk of history sunk deep. We love a wreck with a story, and this one, torpedoed during the Spanish Civil War, has character etched into every rivet. Dropping down, the sheer size of her hits you – over 100 metres long, sprawling across the seabed at 20 metres. You can really get a sense of her original form, the bow and stern still largely intact, and the midship section split, creating swim-throughs where the light plays in dramatic shafts. Our favourite part is the engine room access, if you're comfortable with a bit of penetration. Inside, the machinery is still recognisable, encrusted with jewel anemones, glowing orange and pink. Outside, schools of barracuda often circle the mast, glinting in the sunlight, and you’ll spot conger eels poking their heads from pipes. Visibility can be fantastic here, especially in late summer, letting you take in the whole scene from a distance before getting up close. It’s a compelling dive, full of atmosphere, and easily one of the best wreck dives in the Med for recreational divers.
- Location
- Costa Brava, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 41.634167, 2.746944
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
Marine Protected Area: Pinya de Rosa
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 CIUDAD DE BARCELONA
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 CIUDAD DE BARCELONA
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