Heading south out of the harbour at Altea, shortly after passing El Albir lighthouse, the wall of the coastline traces a curious form rather like the shape of an elephant’s head, beneath which is found the submerged cave of the same name, although this route continues further on to anchor opposite the entrance to another cave, known as Dwarf’s Cave.
At the heart of the Costa Blanca, where tourism is perhaps the most intense of the entire Region, it is pleasing to discover how its seabed is also among the most spectacular. So it is with the routes proposed in Altea and Benidorm, where it is possible to find little caves that never lose sight of daylight, islets full of underwater wildlife, an abundance of species only comparable in size and variety with destinations further from the coast, and endless thrilling satisfactions for lovers of marine nature.
This excellent dive is done on the north face of the Peñón de Ifach and is characterised by a rocky bottom formed by large stones. These are arranged in such a way that they create pretty and curious shapes against the light, although the name The Arches is taken from the arches that have formed in some of these enormous rocks and where undoubtedly, and if the visibility is favourable, the captivating environment that created them will amaze you.
At the foot of the Peñón de Ifach Nature Park, where the footpath starts, El Racó Cove is located, a delightful shingle beach. Its SSE orientation in the lea of the east winds, and the exceptional quality of its water, both in visibility and natural life, make it an ideal place for simple dives, which means it is also much frequented by divers who are learning.
Leaving Xàbia, going south, you come to the small town of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell where you follow the road signs "Cumbres del Sol" , high up on a mountain with spectacular views, where you have to go down a narrow very steep road - watch out for your brakes. As soon as you reach sea level, the entrance to a cave is there on the right, following down some steps. You can put all the gear on outside and, flippers in hand, enter with care, finding a hole or deep pool some three metres in diameter, where the dive begins.
The cove El Tangó, also known as El Pope, offers a good chance for an entertaining and simple dive from the beach.
The cove is very close to the nautical club, beside the outer breakwater of the harbour and with a restaurant opening directly onto it. Its greatest difficulty lies precisely in reaching the water with the heavy diving equipment since it has to be carried over some awkward boulders.
Just past the island of Portixol, heading towards Cabo de la Nao, there is a small islet, La Mona de l'illa, the setting for this new gateway to the blue. The dive consists of going right round it and for that it is best to anchor a little way off, so that if you stay on a bearing of some 120°, on descending by the anchor cable you will probably find the entrance to a small cave, in fact a chimney, starting at a depth of some 11 metres and rising to about seven metres, where there are some openings that create pretty lighting effects.
In the incomparable Cape of San Antonio Marine Reserve, and having previously obtained the requisite permit, this interesting dive is proposed, which can be started at a small watercourse along the foot of the cliff in the reserve, at a spot known as La Cullerà for the indentation that appears in its wall [the name is derived from the Italian verb “cradle”].
This impressive enclave, facing the coasts of Dénia and Xàbia, is home excellent diving sites. We can find simple caves with lovely arcades and light plays as well as vertical walls that lead us down to a seabed with mazes of tunnels and grottos, where large fallen rocks provide for entertaining routes. Here, it is customary to find dusky groupers, gilt-head bream, sea bass, corbs, lobsters, toothhed bream, red scorpion fish, moray eels, octopus, sea urchins and other species. In cracks and overhangs, we can observe an abundant coral community as well as Posidonia Oceanica meadows.
Tabarca Island is a small island that covers an area of only 0.3 km2. It is actually a small archipelago 1,800 m long and 400m wide. Santa Pola is the closest point on the peninsula to Tabarca Island (3 miles), which is the only inhabited island in the Region of Valencia. Tabarca is a unique destination with an interesting history that reminds us of what inspired artists and caught the eye of pirates. In fact, in order to end piracy, the island was fortified and inhabited by residents of Tabarqah (Tabarka) Island in Tunisia.