Diving and Snorkelling Tenerife

If you travel to Tenerife to go diving and snorkelling, you will find everything you need to know about it here and we also have a few insider tips for you.

What does Tenerife offer as a diving area?

The coast of Tenerife offers an enormous marine diversity. Starting with the heavyweights such as sperm whales, humpback whales, dolphins or pilot whales up to the Conger eel, the moray eels or the Bernese as well as sea plants, starfish and crabs that can be seen regularly. There are others that are less likely to be seen, but when they appear they are a true natural spectacle. These include, for example, the loggerhead sea turtle, which is threatened with extinction, or some more impressive specimens, such as rays, hammerhead sharks, jellyfish, sea urchins or ratfish, whose dorsal spines produce small electric shocks. Indescribable places that can only be found under water, mysterious caves, winding rock faces, sunken ships.

The most beautiful diving spots in Tenerife

There are countless fascinating spots under Tenerife’s water surface. It is almost impossible to describe them all. These are definitely the best locations: The Cathedral: This wonderful enclave is located in the north of the island in Puerto de la Cruz. An authentic Canarian dive experience over volcanic ground, littered with tunnels, arches, basalt and chimneys.

El Condesito y Cueva de Alí Babá: This is the wreck of a ship that once carried sacks of cement and can now be seen petrified on the seabed at a depth of about 30 meters. As always, a diverse fauna grows around these wrecks, which will impress you with its shapes and colours. Experienced divers often combine this sighting with a visit to the Alibaba cave, which is located 10 meters deeper.

Maravilla: Ideal for introductory dives, beginners and night dives, as the area is very protected, what does not make it less interesting. In fact, it is one of the few areas where you can see the popular seahorses and tons of trumpet fish.

El Bufadero: A dive that starts with a boat trip and is suitable for all experience levels. The area is extremely popular due to its richness of marine life such as turtles, rays, moray eels and angel sharks.

El Faro de Punta Rasca: you descend the rock wall, in front of the lighthouse, with stone arches full of big eye bass, bastard grunts, barracudas and gold streaks. If you take a closer look, you can also see the hidden specimens such as crabs, prawns or Canarian lobsters. The so-called “organs”, a structure made of solidified lava tubes, are characteristic of this dive. Stingrays or eagle rays camouflage themselves on the sandy bottom in order not to be seen, while the grunts literally attract your attention with their silvery glitter.

The Meridian: This is the name of a wooden sailing boat that was built for general surveillance of maritime traffic during World War II. It was later customized for tourist excursions and finally sunk in 2005. Its scaffolding can still be found on the seabed off the coast of Los Cristianos. There it serves as an artificial reef and attracts various marine life. Among others, bream, striped barbell, moray eels and amber jacks can be seen in this area and with a bit of luck a playful dolphin will be available as a guide.

Cueva del Palmar or Cueva de las Morenas: As the name suggests, a large number of moray eels is characteristic of this area. These are of various sizes and types, and can be found in the crevices of the rocky platform where you will anchor. On the way to the cave near Los Cristianos you will see mushroom-shaped rocks, even a statue of a Madonna and other monuments.

El Puertito: A quiet bay on the Playa del Puertito de Adeje. Here you will find more than 50 different marine species just a few meters below the surface in the midst of extensive seagrass meadows. In particular, the green turtles that are native to this area will enchant you.

Snorkelling in Tenerife

The Canary Sea is incredibly entertaining both on its bottom and near the surface. Those who want to experience this up close, but without heavy equipment or basic training, have the opportunity to do so while snorkelling. The various diving centres offer diving goggles with tubes or easy breath masks with which you can dive up to 4 meters deep.

Diving without an oxygen cylinder

There is another system that falls somewhere between snorkelling and diving. With this you can also dive without a bottle. This method neither requires experience nor a license and you can dive up to 6 meters in the company of a qualified instructor. The oxygen supply is like that of a diver, but takes place via a long hose that is connected to your helmet from the water surface. This way you can breathe without having to swim back to the surface.

Diving for beginners

Keep in mind that a license is required for diving on all islands. PADI is completely sufficient, because you can use it to dive to a depth of up to 12 m. The international teaching system SSI Diving, is also applied in Tenerife. Without any previous experience, it is advisable to take an introductory dive first. Doing this, you have the opportunity to get an impression of ​​this sport which helps to lose any fears and become familiar with the usage of the equipment.

To learn diving

The local diving centres and clubs offer a wide range of diving courses. Everything is available from the IAC, the Open Water Diver course that teaches you basic concepts, to the more advanced. These schools also offer various excursions. All of them are tailored to your needs and previous knowledge.

The requirements for snorkelling and diving in Tenerife

Health: As with any sport, snorkelling and diving also require you to be in good health. For diving with oxygen bottles, however, you need a medical certificate that proves that you are physically fit for the dive. You can get this in your own country before travelling or in Tenerife from a doctor on the island. We do not recommend doing these activities under any circumstances if you have heart problems, lung problems, epilepsy, diabetes, are pregnant, or have recently had surgery. You do not need a certificate to snorkel.

Insurance: Insurance for diving accidents is compulsory in the Canary Islands. If you are a regular diver you may already have one. If not, you can get one at any dive centre in Tenerife. You don’t need any insurance to snorkel.

Equipment: You can rent the necessary diving equipment at any local diving centre.

License: If you have the PADI Open Water Diver license or similar, you can go diving without a professional diving instructor, but always accompanied by another diver. You can only dive on your own if you have the appropriate certification for it. If you don’t have a companion with you on holiday, you can book a guided dive at any diving club. While doing this, you will have the opportunity to meet people with similar preferences for this sport.

What you should absolutely consider

Before making a reservation, you should carefully read the information on our website: the requirements placed on you, what is and what is not included in the price, the equipment and accessories offered, insurance and medical certificate. But also, whether you start from the boat or the beach and whether the transfer service is offered for your hotel. In case you do not have a good knowledge of English, we recommend that you also check in which languages ​​the courses and dives are conducted. Also read “Please note!” and “Services and Prices” to complete the information.

What you must definitely take with you

• Documents: Don’t forget to bring any diving certificates and the insurance policy if you already have one.
• Bathing suits and towels: It’s important that you wear a bathing suit under the wetsuit. You can also use the towel after the dive to dry off.
• Sun protection: it is advisable to apply sunscreen before carrying out the activity and to freshen it up afterwards.
• You now have all the necessary information about diving and snorkelling in Tenerife. We are therefore sure that you are more than ready to tackle this under water adventure.