Spain has over 3,700 miles of coastline (5,978 km) and beaches that face onto the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Cantabrian Sea. There is such a variety of beaches, sea life and services that whatever you’re looking for, you can find it in Spain.
Here, we run down the 10 best places to go surfing, scuba diving and snorkelling in Spain. We’ll bounce around the Spanish islands to find some of the best coral reefs for snorkelling in Europe, then down to Andalusia to visit a surfer’s paradise and take a dip in the waters off the Canary Islands in dive sites in Lanzarote. So grab your gear, take a deep breath and let’s dive in!
Surfing in Spain
Spain is one of the most popular destinations for surfing and kitesurfing in Europe, thanks to its many and varied winds and waters. Both Cádiz in southern Spain and the Basque Country in northern Spain are considered the best places for surfing and they have facilities for both beginners and old hands.
1. Caños de Meca, Tarifa
This beach in Cádiz, Andalusia is the perfect place for surfing for beginners. Along with its neighbour, Playa El Palmar, they offer strong enough winds to make some waves big enough to surf on, but still retain the element of peace and quiet to help you get your confidence on the surfboard.
2. Playa de los Lances, Tarifa
Also in the Tarifa area of Cádiz, this beach is better for surfing experts and people with more experience on the board. The best place to catch waves on this beach is next to the Isla de las Palomas island, where the swell is greatest. Because it faces straight onto the wind-whipped Atlantic, you can also do kitesurfing and windsurfing on the Los Lances beach in summer.
3. Zarautz, the Basque Country
For anyone interested in surfing history, Biarritz in the French Basque Country is surely the most well-known surf spot, with its various beaches that have been on the forefront of Spanish surfing for 50 years now. However, if you’re looking for a new challenge on the board and different places to surf from the crowd, try the Zarautz beach in Gipuzkoa, just 12 miles from San Sebastián, one of the biggest beaches in the area and suitable for all levels of surfers, as well as families and swimmers too. If you come in September, you may even witness the Rip Curl Pro Surf competition here!
4. Playa de la Grande, Asturias
Also on the northern coast of Spain, the region of Asturias is a hidden treasure of beautiful beaches, green areas and strong waves. One of the best beaches for surfing here is the Playa de la Grande in Tapia de Casariego. It is a blue flag beach and there are also surfing contests held here occasionally, but you’re advised to go in summer to ensure the best weather – Asturias can sometimes be quite rainy in the off season!
Scuba diving in Spain
There are many places where you can dive in Spain, from the Canary Islands to the Costa del Sol, with a number of sunken treasures to find and undersea adventures to have. Anyone who scuba dives in Spain is required to have a medical note from a doctor and diving insurance stating their capacity to dive, but you can often get this when you show up at the dive school. Whether you’re new to diving and want to get your PADI certificate in Spain or you’re an experienced diver looking for a new challenge, you should know about these best places for scuba diving in Spain.
5. Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote
The island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has good weather all year round, so any time is a good time to visit and go scuba diving, although you’ll need a nice, thick wetsuit for diving in the Atlantic Ocean. The water is clear, though, and you can see plenty of sea life like seahorses, groupers and tuna. While the Puerto del Carmen is one of the most popular places for divers, if you want to visit the Museo Atlántico underwater museum you’ll need to take a guided tour from the Bahía de las Coloradas.
6. Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Almería
This natural park in the sunny southwest of Spain hides lots of beautiful marine life off its shores, and houses one of the few coral reefs in Spain. There are several diving companies in the different towns in the area that offer trips out to sea to see the fish and wildlife. You can go diving from San José, Las Negras and many other coastal towns in Almería.
7. Bahía de Palma, Mallorca
One of the best things about scuba diving in Spain’s Balearic Islands, apart from the pleasant temperatures and great facilities, is the fact that there are sunken ships in the Mediterranean Sea there. Start from the Bahía de Palma on the island of Majorca and dive down to discover the hidden treasure that lies below.
Snorkelling in Spain
The Balearic Islands also have some excellent destinations for snorkelling in Spain because of the unique coral that can be found there, some of the only coral reefs in Europe. Some more of the best places to snorkel in Spain include Alicante and Girona.
8. Medes Islands, Girona
These few tiny islands of the coast of Catalonia are a great place to snorkel in the Mediterranean because they’re home to some of the greatest spectacles of marine life anywhere in Spain. There are green underwater meadows that serve as homes for many species of fish and even caves that you can access with just a snorkel and some flippers. You can also experience this wonder of nature from a kayak, glass-bottomed boat or by scuba diving.
9. Cala Racó, Alicante
The Cala del Racó in Spain stands out for its sparklingly clear water, where you can see fish and beautiful sights under the waves. The beach itself is astoundingly beautiful with soft white sand and an enormous rock dominating the landscape.
10. Cala Morell, Menorca
The smaller sister island of Majorca, Menorca has many bays and coves that are surrounded by rock formations, making the water off the coast especially calm and perfect for swimming on the surface and observing all the fish swimming around you in beautiful, shimmering colours. Cala Morell is surely the main beach for snorkelling in Menorca, but while you’re there you should check out Cala en Porter and Cala Macarelleta too.
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