Dive in and discover the municipality's underwater world
Without a doubt, the municipality of Fuencaliente is home to the most iconic dive sites on La Palma: La Torre and Las Cruces at Malpique, the young lava of Las Cabras, the exposed southern point of Los Molinos, and El Faro.
It comes as no surprise that the southern tip of La Palma, surrounded by the sea, is one of the star diving spots in the Canary Islands. This is a wild place, with its black lava, its winds, the waves that almost always break at the lighthouse — but it is gentle, soft and lovely too. Beneath the surface, the Atlantic awaits you with endless colours and shapes, embracing you with water temperatures of up to 24 degrees in summer and no less than 19 in winter.
It is a hugely attractive area for all kinds of water activities: the local centres offer beginners' courses and guided snorkelling trips to start exploring. You don't have to be an expert to get into the sea. You may still be a beginner or already very experienced — the dives here are the unforgettable kind.
Dive sites in the south of La Palma
Full of life, with depths covered in black coral and wild entry points — the dive sites in Fuencaliente are the best on the island.
Las Cabras
“The desert landscape, the strong wind and the ceaseless motion of the swell are the counterpoint to the calm that usually reigns underwater for most of the year. This is an area with superb visibility, and thanks to it everything from great schools of devil rays to the majestic whale shark has been spotted here. We went down dreaming of such an encounter. The steep walls of submerged rock let us look down from above to see whether we would be lucky. Captivated by the spectacular scenery, we descended to the foot of the cliffs to explore the hiding places of burrfish, large groupers and island groupers. On the way back, we could hardly believe what we were seeing.
The dive starts from the beach. We head out to sea until we reach the underwater cliff, which can be skirted or crossed to descend into the depths. On the way back, you simply must swim through the arch formed by a great rock in the middle of the dive area, returning little by little while looking for the life hiding in the hollows of the rocks.”
Text: Guía de buceo – La Palma. Image: oceanografica.com
Malpique – Las Cruces
“If we had to choose one place on La Palma to start looking for treasure hidden by pirates, it would undoubtedly be this one. The local divers had told us about its forty submerged crosses honouring the monks who fell into the hands of pirates, and about the impressive underwater tower, accessible only to experienced divers.
It is hard to put into words what it feels like to be here. As we swam through and the crosses came into view, we got a lump in our throats at such an eerie and at the same time awe-inspiring scene. Following the local guide, we peered over a ‘balcony’ with a spectacular drop and began to swim out to sea. Little by little we could make out ‘the tower’, an enormous rock monolith rising from 50 to 30 metres, covered in black coral.”
Text: Guía de buceo – La Palma. Image: oceanografica.com
Punta de Los Molinos
“We reached this remote spot along a dirt track that runs through the razor-sharp malpaís, cooled lava that moulds cutting shapes almost impossible to walk through — hence its name. The landscape above the water is windswept and desert-like, in complete contrast to what we found below, full of life and decorated in a thousand shades of green and blue. As soon as we entered from the beach, we noticed that on either side of the little bay a tunnel began, cutting through the solid rock. If anything about this place surprised and amazed us, it is the whimsical shapes of the lava that solidified on contact with the water. Looking at them, it is not hard to picture them red-hot, flowing slowly and dripping down into the sea, making the water boil as they turned to stone.”
Text: Guía de buceo – La Palma
Faro de Fuencaliente
“Today we began the day with a visit to the Marine Reserve's interpretation centre, and straight afterwards we dived in — encouraged above all by the naturalists on the team — in search of the rocky spur with hexagonal shapes. Along the way we watched trumpetfish hunting and a spiny burrfish attacking a sea urchin. In a small cave, a colourful barred hogfish kept its distance while we aroused its curiosity. On the way out, a small group of amberjacks treated us to an incredible show as they chased the school of bogues that had gathered in front of the majestic rocks brushing the surface.
Thanks to the guides, who found their way with the help of a compass, we managed a fantastic route. The site is a real test of navigation: the uniformity of the seabed, the shapes of the rocks and the sea currents, frequent in this area, make it hard to hold your intended course.”
Text: Guía de buceo – La Palma. Image: oceanografica.com
Activities at sea: A great day for everyone
Diving is not only for experts, nor for super-swimmers: it is for everyone. There is always an activity at sea to suit you.
Snorkelling
If the sea catches your eye and you want to know what can be seen beneath the surface, you can see a great deal from the top. Confident swimmers who practise this sport regularly usually go on their own. But of course, a guide who knows the area well and can explain what you are seeing makes it much safer and far more interesting.
At the dive centre you will find someone to take you on this adventure.
Try dives and diving courses
If you would like to learn how to move underwater with scuba gear, to breathe, to linger down among the fish, Fuencaliente is the ideal place to learn to dive. As the wind on La Palma almost always blows from the north, there is always some sheltered corner in the south where you can learn in good conditions. There is no need to go deep — you start discovering at just a few metres — and only as you progress will the professionals in charge of the area accompany you step by step as you develop as a diver. Or poco a poco, as they say here. Learning in the sunshine, in an Atlantic full of life and secrets — you will see: once you try it, you will come back for more.
Diving by day and by night: dive trips
Those who already know how to dive will also have realised what a treasure awaits them in Fuencaliente. With the local centres, which know countless hidden spots, the underwater world of southern La Palma can be explored at its very best. The marine diversity, thanks to the nearby marine reserve and the currents off the southern tip, is astonishing. And the lava, these newly born formations…. You have to see it, over a day or a week of diving, by day or by night – you will love it.
Diving companies
Experts who will accompany you on your adventure
Underwater photographs
To print (offline) and listen
This page is also available as a printable document and as audio.
