Grotte à corail - Medes Islands
If you’re diving the Medes Islands, you need to hit Grotte à corail. Forget the generic cave dives you might have done elsewhere; this one’s special. We drop down and almost immediately you feel the temperature dip, a cool embrace that tells you you’re entering something different. What we love here is the sheer density of colour, particularly the reds. You’ll spot the vibrant Red coral clinging to the walls, punctuated by the electric green of Green Wrasse darting amongst it. Keep your eyes peeled for the little guys, too – we’ve found Seahorses tucked away in the tapeweed more than once. The light filtering in creates these incredible shafts, making the Horn Shells look like polished jewels. We find it’s a brilliant dive for photographers, especially when the sun's high. We’d suggest going early to beat any crowds, as it can get busy in peak season. It’s a truly immersive experience, a real visual feast.
- Location
- Medes Islands, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 43.210567, 5.332800
- Type
- cave
Best Time to Dive in Medes Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Medes Islands occur in August, averaging 23.1°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 13.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 14.1°C
- February: 13.3°C
- March: 13.5°C
- April: 14.4°C
- May: 16.8°C
- June: 20.5°C
- July: 22.7°C
- August: 23.1°C
- September: 21.6°C
- October: 19.4°C
- November: 17.3°C
- December: 15.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Medes Islands
- Abyss Garden (wreck)
- Aiguablava
- Aigua Xelida - 10-30m (reef)
- Amphores du frioul
- Andromède
- ANGELA - 8m (wreck)
- Arche du plannier - 10-30m (cave)
- Arroyo
- Atoll Plongée (reef)
- AUDIERNE - 16m (wreck)
- Badia de Tamariu - 5-25m (reef)
- Barda de Fitor (wall)
- Barda de l'Illa Negra (wall)
- Barda de Pere el Flaquer (wall)
- BARTOLO - 28m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Grotte à corail
Marine Life in Medes Islands
Home to 78 recorded species including 56 reef fish, 8 sharks & rays, 5 octopus & squid, 4 whales & dolphins, 2 crabs & lobsters, 1 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- hake (Merluccius merluccius) - Reef Fish
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- Capelin (Trisopterus capelanus) - Reef Fish
- grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) - Reef Fish
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Black-bellied angler (Lophius budegassa) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic Spotted Flounder (Citharus linguatula) - Reef Fish
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Thornback skate (Raja clavata) - Sharks & Rays
- Mullet (Mullus barbatus) - Reef Fish
- Pollock (Trachurus trachurus) - Reef Fish
- lesser argentine (Argentina sphyraena) - Reef Fish
- conger (Conger conger) - Reef Fish
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) - Reef Fish
- Red Band-fish (Cepola macrophthalma) - Reef Fish
- Gurnard (Trigla lyra) - Reef Fish
- Soldier (Chelidonichthys cuculus) - Reef Fish
- Jac (Helicolenus dactylopterus) - Reef Fish
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
Recommended Packing List for Grotte à corail
Based on average water temperature of 17.6°C, currents 14 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 18°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