Diving the Illes Medes — What You Actually Need to Know

I live about two hours south of L'Estartit, and the Illes Medes are where I end up diving more than anywhere else. There's a reason for that. Seven small islands off the Costa Brava coast, protected as a marine reserve since 1983, and home to some of the best diving in the Mediterranean. Not "best diving in Spain" — best in the Mediterranean. That's not just me saying it. Pretty much everyone who dives here says it.

Here's what you need to know if you're thinking about going.

The short version

The Illes Medes are a small archipelago about one nautical mile off L'Estartit, in the Baix Emporda area of Girona. They're part of the Parc Natural del Montgri, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter — a natural park that covers the islands, the surrounding sea, and the Montgri massif on the coast.

The diving is all boat-based. You pick a center in L'Estartit, get on their boat, and you're at the dive sites in 5 to 25 minutes depending on which one. There are over 20 dive sites spread around the islands. Some are shallow and easy, some are deep walls with currents. There's something for every certification level.

Why divers keep coming back

Three things make Medes special.

The groupers. Forty-plus years of marine protection have done their job. The groupers here are everywhere, they're big, and they don't care about you. They'll swim right up and hang around while you fumble with your camera. It's called "el efecto reserva" — the reserve effect — and it's real. These fish have never been hunted in their lifetime, and it shows.

The caves and tunnels. La Vaca is a 30-meter-long tunnel that cuts straight through Meda Gran, the main island. You swim in one side and come out the other, with natural light the whole way. Dofi Nord has a cave system with an air chamber, a cathedral-like vault, and passages at different depths. These aren't dark, technical cave dives — they're accessible and dramatic.

The range. Salpatxot at 5-25 meters is perfect for your first dive in open water. Pota de Llop goes down to 50 meters along gorgonian-covered cliffs. Carall Bernat is a pinnacle you circumnavigate along vertical walls. El Reggio is a 115-meter ferry wreck sunk in 1991, now in three pieces at 35 meters. Whatever kind of diving you're into, there's a site here for it.

The dive sites — a quick overview

There are over 20 named dive sites. Here are the ones people talk about most:

The icons

Carall Bernat — The most famous dive at Medes. A rocky pinnacle rising 72 meters above the water, with walls dropping to 45-50 meters below. You circle the rock and everything comes to you — groupers, gorgonians, barracuda, and sometimes eagle rays. All levels in good conditions, but currents can make it advanced. I wrote a separate, more detailed piece on this one.

La Vaca — The tunnel. Thirty meters long, five meters wide, lit by natural light from both ends. There's a famously large grouper that hangs around the entrance like a doorman. One of those dives you remember.

Dofi Nord — The cave system. Air chamber at 10 meters, a short cave at 12 meters, a long cave at 18-20 meters, and "La Catedral" — a vaulted chamber that earns its name. Red coral on the walls, spiny lobster in the crevices. Also works at multiple levels.

Tasco Gros and Tasco Petit — Two large rocks forming the northeast corner of the archipelago. Tasco Petit is nicknamed "The Aquarium" and it's accurate — the amount of fish life is absurd. Eagle rays show up here in summer. Depths to 45 meters but great at any level.

For beginners

Salpatxot — North of the islands, shallow and protected. Full of fish — groupers, morays, octopus. If you're doing your first open water dive at Medes, this is probably where you'll go. Moonfish sometimes appear in June.

Punta Salina — On the Montgri coast rather than the islands themselves. Gentle sand slope, ideal for try-dives and courses.

El Negre del Falaguer — Also on the coast. Gentle slope, good for beginners, about 15 minutes by boat.

For advanced divers

Pota de Llop — East coast of Meda Gran. The deepest site at Medes, dropping to 50 meters. Rocky cliff with gorgonians, a cave, conger eels, spiny lobster. Experienced divers only.

Pedra de Deu — Northeast of Meda Gran. Vast walls of blue and yellow gorgonians starting at 15 meters. One of the deepest sites, with big groupers.

El Reggio — A 115-meter ferry sunk in 1991 as an artificial reef. Now broken into three sections (stern, center, bow) at 27-35 meters. Advanced only and weather-dependent.

And there's more

Les Ferranelles, La Pedrosa (with a 60-meter tunnel), El Medellot, La Ferriola, Embarcador del Frances, Sant Istiu, Cap Castell, Puig de la Sardina — honestly, you could dive here for weeks and not repeat a site.

Marine life

The star of the show is the grouper. Epinephelus marginatus if you want to sound smart at dinner. They're at virtually every site, they're large, and they're completely unbothered by divers. The reserve effect at work.

Beyond groupers, a typical dive at Medes might include:

• Moray eels — in rocky crevices everywhere. You'll see several per dive.
• Octopus — tucked into holes, doing their color-changing thing
• Barracuda — schools at the more exposed sites
• Nudibranchs — on the walls and gorgonians, especially the orange ones
• Sea bream, dentex, scorpionfish — the supporting cast, always present

The walls are covered in gorgonians — blue, yellow, red, and white varieties. At the deeper sites like Pedra de Deu and Carall Bernat, the gorgonian coverage is spectacular. Red coral appears in the cave systems, especially at Dofi.

Summer specials: Eagle rays arrive in July and August, mostly at the Tascons and Ferranelles. Sunfish (Mola mola) show up occasionally, especially in June. If you're lucky and the currents are right, you might spot tuna passing through in the blue.

Conditions

The dive season runs from April to November, with some centers offering winter dives by arrangement. Water temperature ranges from about 14 degrees in spring to 24 degrees at the peak of summer.

Visibility is... variable. On a good day it's excellent — clear blue water that makes you forget you're in the Mediterranean. On a bad day it can be green and murky. That's just how it is. Summer generally brings better visibility, along with the warmest water and the best marine life. It's also the busiest period, with daily diver limits creating competition for permits.

Currents are site-dependent. The exposed sites — Carall Bernat, the Tascons, Pota de Llop — can get strong currents, especially with north winds. This is actually a feature, not a bug: the currents bring pelagic species. But it means some sites can shift from "all levels" to "advanced only" depending on the day. Your dive center will know.

The practical stuff

Permits

Medes is a marine reserve. You need a permit to dive, and there's a daily limit on the number of divers allowed. The permit costs 5.15 euros per person. If you book through a dive center — and you will, since all dives are boat dives — the center handles the permit for you. But book in advance, especially in summer. Spots fill up.

You'll need to show your dive certification (Open Water or equivalent) and proof of dive insurance (federation license or private insurance). Beginners must dive with a certified instructor.

Before each dive, the center gives an ecobriefing about the park — conservation rules, what not to touch, how to behave. The basics: don't feed the fish, don't touch anything, stay at least 1.5 meters from the bottom and walls. Standard stuff, but they take it seriously here, and they should.

Dive centers

L'Estartit has around eight dive centers. The ones I've come across most:

• Unisub — the oldest, operating since 1965
• Calypso Diving — 40+ years, PADI, strong sustainability focus
• Les Illes Hotel & Diving — hotel plus dive center, four boat departures daily, SSI
• Xaloc Diving Center — SSI
• Aquatica Illes Medes — has their own training pool, SSI, Mares equipment
• El Rei del Mar — family-run since 1990
• La Sirena — diving and snorkeling
• Orca Diving — based in nearby L'Escala

I won't pretend to have tried them all. They're all operating in the same marine reserve, taking you to the same sites. Pick based on schedule, language, and whether the vibe suits you.

Getting there

L'Estartit is about 50 km from Girona airport and 140 km from Barcelona El Prat. You'll want a car. The town is small, the harbor is where everything happens, and the drive from Barcelona along the coast is nice enough that the travel doesn't feel like a chore.

What it costs

A dive at Medes with full rental equipment runs around 80-85 euros. Coast dives are slightly cheaper. Night dive supplement is about 25 euros extra, Nitrox about 3 euros per dive. The park permit (5.15 euros) is typically included in the price. Check with your center for current rates — these things change.

Is it worth the hype?

Yes. I've dived other places in the Mediterranean and Medes is in a different league. The reserve protection has created something genuinely special — the density and fearlessness of the marine life isn't normal. Add the caves, the walls, the variety of sites, and the fact that it's all a short boat ride from a pleasant small town, and it's hard to argue with.

If you only dive one place on the Costa Brava, make it Medes. If you have a week, you still won't get bored.

The only honest caveat: it's popular, it's regulated, and in August it's busy. Plan ahead, book early, and maybe consider June or September instead if you can — fewer crowds, good conditions, and the marine life is still very much there.