Wreck of Llanishen - Costa Brava
The Temple Hall wreck is one of our Canary Island favourites, a proper deep dive that’s worth the effort. It was a cargo ship, carrying cement, when it ran aground back in 1964. Now it rests broken in two main pieces. Dropping down, you hit the bow section first, sitting upright, and then it’s a swim over a sandy expanse to the stern, which lies on its port side. The real joy here is penetrating the engine room. With a good torch, you can still make out the machinery, and the light filtering in through portholes creates an eerie glow. Outside, the decks are swarming with blacktail bream and saddled seabream, clouds of them moving as one, parting for you then reforming. Dusky groupers lurk in the shadows, and we’ve even spotted bigeye tuna cruising past in the blue. It’s a dive for experienced wreck enthusiasts, certainly not a beginner’s site. There can be a bit of current, and the depth means you need to watch your no-decompression limits, but the scale and atmosphere of the Temple Hall make it a truly compelling dive.
- Location
- Costa Brava, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 42.284210, 3.299200
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Cap Gros-Cap de Creus
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 Wreck of Llanishen
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 Wreck of Llanishen
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