When you think about great scuba diving locations around the world, the Canary Island of Tenerife probably doesn’t come to mind. We did our scuba certification in Tenerife and it was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Scuba diving opens up the world on a whole new level, like… literally. Little did we know when we started our diving journey in Tenerife that there are some great dive sites including caves and wrecks. Tenerife has so much life to see underwater such as rays, turtles, angel sharks and dolphins and this post will tell you where you can see them.
Beginners Diving in Tenerife
El Puertito
This bay is very shallow and offers great diving for all experience levels. It can be reached from the shore or by boat and offers a maximum depth of 14m. One of the most famous dive sites Tenerife has to offer, it is popular with dive centres from all around the island for one reason. El Puertito is home to several green turtles who are used to seeing divers in the water. They will happily come and interact with you ;etting you scratch their shell and take pictures. The turtles aren’t the only thing to see however, there is lots of life hiding amongst the rocks including moray eels, octopus, seahorses, and trumpet fish. You may also encounter flounders and rays in the sand.
Cueva de los cerebros
Known as the brain cave due to the spongy rock and volcanic formations, this is a great introduction to cave diving for beginners. The cave entrance is at 12m depth and ascents gradually to surface level where there is a pocket of air. Inside the cave there is plenty of life among the rocks including sponge crabs, reef lobsters, shrimps and glass eyes. There are also some interesting coral formations and anemones to see.
El Condesito wreck
Situated in a canyon with a maximum depth of 18m this is the perfect wreck for beginners diving in Tenerife. El Condesito is the wreck of a cargo ship that was carrying bags of cement. The ship itself is in several pieces and the cargo can be seen around the dive site. Around the canyon there are some interesting volcanic formations and swim throughs to enjoy with an abundance of marine life in surrounding rocks. You can expect to see octopus, cuttlefish, large shoals of roncadores, fire worms, trumpet fish and Spanish dancers around the wreck and in the surrounding area.
Alcala
A shallow dive from the shore with lots to see Alcala is a great spot to see turtles. The dive site has a sandy bottom with two large volcanic reefs making it ideal for rays and octopus too. An easy dive for beginners with a maximum depth of 15m. There are a few arches to explore with huge shoals of roncadores and the chance of seeing yellow rays, green turtles, moray eels, lizardfish, octopus and cuttlefish. It is a great place to practice underwater photography.
El Poris
An ideal dive for beginners El Poris is entered from the shore by a ladder. It is very shallow in the beginning starting at just 5m. There is a huge reef that has an abundance of life including seahorses, pipe fish, arrow crabs, octopus, trumpet fish, scorpion fish and garden eels. There are also large barracudas and a cleaner shrimp station to see along with a small statue at a depth of about 15m.
Open Water Diving in Tenerife
La Caleta Wall
One of our favourite dive site in Tenerife. La Caleta wall is a drift dive along a volcanic wall with a maximum depth of 22m. Depending on the current it can be fast paced as you get swept along the wall. Hopefully you can still spot some great things as there is much to see under the overhang of the wall itself. Including lots of rays sometimes up to 30 at a time. There is also a sandy patch where you are likely to find garden eels, Canarian lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish, and cleaner shrimps hiding in the rocks.
Playa Paraiso
This dive site has a little bit of everything with lots of rocky overhangs where you can spot anemones and rays. To swim throughs and a giant lost anchor. There is a large reef with shoals of roncadores surrounding it and along the reef which is overgrown with sponges, there are parrotfish, octopus, and eels. With a maximum depth of 24m it is a nice dive site for everyone to enjoy.
Twin Wrecks
These two wrecks were sank just outside of Puerto Colon deliberately to create an artificial reef. With a maximum depth 22m, it is an ideal dive site for new open water divers. One of the wrecks has collapsed, but the other is still in a fairly good condition and around the dual wrecks you can spot grunts, amberjack, and trumpet fish. Inside and under the wrecks you may find hermit crabs, scorpion fish, shrimps, fire worms and rays.
Roncadores del Palm Mar & Palm Mar Wall
One of the top spots for diving in Tenerife this plateau has multiple dive sites for various experience levels. Starting at 6m and dropping down to 32m at La Morena, which we will talk about later. The average depth for open water divers is 22m and there is a good chance of spotting pods of dolphins here. The life is the main attraction of the dive with lots of octopus, rays, shoals of barracudas and roncadores. And during the winter months it is a frequent hang out for angel sharks.
Neptuno Cave
Is not a cave in the traditional sense as you can swim right through from one side to the other and out again. You can also drop down through the volcanic rock into the cave from above. Inside the cavern several openings allow light to enter and create spectacular lighting effects, great for photography.
There are plenty of fish lurking in the dark corners of the cave including shoals of glass eyes. On the bottom of the cavern are large rocks which are perfect hiding places for Canarian lobsters and crabs. There are also some resident groupers and trumpet fish in and around the cave.
At 22m it is a good dive site for divers with an open water certification. But due to the current sometimes it can turn into a drift dive so not ideal for beginners.
Advanced Diving in Tenerife
El Meridian Wreck
One of the best-preserved wrecks for diving in Tenerife. This ship is reminiscent of a pirate ship with its large masts, ropes and open deck area. You can go inside the wreck and explore, and you are likely to find parrotfish, eels, fire worms, damselfish and glass eyes skulking inside the cabin. Sitting on a sandy bottom at a depth of 30m, El Meridian is only suitable for advanced open water divers and is frequently used to train for the deep diver speciality.
Palm Mar Cave AKA La Morena
The deepest part of the Palm Mar dive site is around 40m and features a large rock formation and a dolphin statue to commemorate Jacque Cousteau. Slightly further up towards the cave there is a statue of the virgin Mary at 32m. This was placed by fishermen to bless their fishing trips. The area around here has a plethora of life from barracudas to moray eels and lots of rays. There are also angel sharks in the winter months.
On the approach to the cave there is a small cross in memory of some divers that lost their lives inside the vast volcanic tunnel network. The extent of the caves in still not known to this day and due to the sandy bottom it is easy for divers to lose their way inside. There is a line you can follow around the first part of the cave, and inside it’s common to find large rays hiding in the shadows.
Ali Baba Cave
This dive site is only for divers with a deep diver speciality and who are very experienced. The dive begins at 30m and descends around a ledge to the sandy bottom where the entrance to the cave is. Inside the cave is filled with spectacular black coral and hundreds of shrimps which scuttle away as you shine a light on them. There are also resident eels in the cave and sometimes bream, groupers, and glassfish.
At times due to the depth and darkness, you can see luminescent plankton floating around giving the whole dive a surreal feeling. It is also possible to see shoals of sardines and roncadores, angel sharks, lobsters, barracudas, and stingrays around the cave.
Depending on the tide and the current it is not always possible to visit the dive site. It is also easy to miss if there is a strong current and you drift too far. And when the tide is high the cave entrance can be at around 50m depth.
Marazul
It is possible to do a couple of different dives around the area of Marazul with a large arch way and various swim through caverns at around 29m. There is also a fascinating cave at 23m depth with a large blow hole that opens up to the surface. There are also many overhangs and columns to navigate and explore. And the pretty volcanic rock formations allow for interesting light shows under the water. You will also find lots of life on a dive to Marazul including octopus, rays, lobsters, trumpet fish and eels. There are also many beautiful sponges and anemones decorating the caverns and tunnels.
Tabaiba wreck
Widely considered the best wreck dive in Tenerife, El Penon is a large tugboat that sits at a maximum depth of 32m. It is easily accessible with a short swim from the shore, it was sank to create an artificial reef in 2006. We can see why it is a popular dive for advanced divers wanting to complete a wreck diving or deep diving speciality. The ship is intact, and you can enter inside various rooms including the cabins, engine room, and the bridge. At the dive site you can expect to see damselfish, octopus, moray eels, barracuda, lobsters, and stingrays.
Now you know what there is to see when diving in Tenerife we highly recommend choosing a great dive centre, packing your kit grabbing your dive gear checklist and scuba buddy and booking a trip to this fantastic Canary Island.
Whenever you plan to go scuba diving we recommend having travel insurance that covers you for any accidents or injuries. Check out World Nomads for comprehensive scuba diving insurance.
Have you been diving in Tenerife? Let us know in the comments below what your favourite dive site is!
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