Water sports in Almeria
Almeria - Andalucia - Southern Spain 
A first-rate water sports destination exhibiting clean and clear coastal waters and an idyllic shoreline that remains peaceful and uncrowded virtually all year long. With the most beautiful of beaches, lapped by the Mediterranean sea, Almeria presents unmatchable locations for the pursuit of water sports, in particular, scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing are well represented.
The coastline of Almeria is categorised into three geographical areas for water sports destinations, the Cabo de Gata natural park, the Levante coastline and the Poniente coastline.
The beach regions of Almeria are deserved of and detailed in separate pages.
An introduction to the Beaches of Almeria - including a map of the coastline 
Quick links to water sports destinations and water sport centres in Almeria:
Choose Almeria for water sports holidays in Spain
Scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayak, boat trips...
Water sports Cabo de Gata
Water sports within the Cabo de Gata natural park include kayak, windsurfing and kitesurfing, boat trips and boat hire, snorkelling and scuba diving. There are several water sports centres located throughout the park, and one in Carboneras town, which is just outside of the parks border, all offer their local knowledge and services along with equipment hire and special itineraries within a radius of their location. 
Kayaking Cabo de Gata
Combining relaxation, adventure and exploration, kayak excursions are available for all levels of experience with guided tours of the parks dramatic coastline. 
A prime example and highly popular kayak trip is the La Fabriquilla - Arrecife de las Sirenas, its starting point is from the Fabriquilla beach on the southern coastline, and its route traverses the headland of Cabo de Gata through Sirenas reef, an area of stunning rock formations both under and above the water.
Kayaks are also available for rental. 
Boat trips Cabo de Gata
Discover this striking coastline, with its volcanic history, unique geology, and colourful sea bottom, on a Cabo de Gata boat trip. Schedules cover most of the eastern Cabo de Gata shoreline and provide a pleasurable way to appreciate some of the more isolated coves of the park.
Scuba Diving Cabo de Gata
Abundant with marine life, the pristine waters, preserved sea beds, tiny rock islands and coral reefs 
make Cabo de Gata one of the most favoured areas for diving in Spain.
The eastern coast, from Sirenas reef in the south to Carboneras on the northern border, offers a large number and range of dives for beginners to the fully qualified. The numerous scuba diving centres provide details of the available dives along with equipment hire and qualified instructors. There are courses for new recruits along with refresher dives for confidence building, and the experienced scuba enthusiast will be over 
awed by the quality of immersions on offer. Night time dives are also available.
There is an incredible amount of rich and diverse sea life to be sighted in the Cabo de Gata waters, including grouper, pollock, sea bream and sea bass, octopus, moray and conger... Posidonia sea grass protects many areas of the sea bed, contributing to the underwater ecosystem and home of various marine species, crustaceans, mollusks, algae... Submerged rocks and caves, lined with colourful sponges, make a backdrop for some stunning photography. 
The Dives
The protected off shore waters of the Cabo de Gata offer the largest number of dives in Almeria province.
Of special interest to accomplished diver, is the sunken ship wreck dive, El Vapor, at a depth scope of 27/42m, situated approximately one mile south of the Cabo de Gata lighthouse on the parks peninsula. The open portside of the vessel allows access to the cellars of the one hundred metre long ship, and the dive site offers the chance to see eagle rays, barracudas, moray and conger eels, snappers, white bream and ocean sunfish.
El Cueva del Frances, an immersion between San Jose and Escullos, in the Loma 
Pelada area of marine preservation, travels through a wealth of biological diversity at depths of between 6/18m. As its name suggests, there are caves and caverns to investigate with possibilities of sighting octopus, morays, mullet groups and prawns.
In the waters by Isleta del Moro, the Piedra de los Meros, at a depth range of 27/33m, provides the opportunity to see some bigger specimens of sea creatures such as barracudas and large conger eels.
The above examples are a small representation of the wonders of the aquatic life of the Cabo de Gata, for full details of the available dives in the Cabo de Gata, along with information of the scuba diving courses please visit the diving centre websites below.
Water sports centres Cabo de Gata
External links
Provided to help visitors make the most of the area. The links will open in a separate page.
Scuba Diving Centres Cabo de Gata
Centro de Buceo Isub San Jose (Website in English).
Centro de Buceo Alpha San Jose (Website in Spanish).
Buceo Las Negras Las Negras (Website in Spanish).
Buceo Carboneras Carboneras (Website in English).
Branquias Dive Centre Carboneras (Website in Spanish).
La Isleta del Moro Diving La Isleta del Moro (Website in Spanish).
Sub Parke Centro de Buceo Rodalquilar (Website in Spanish).
Centro de Buceo Agua Amarga - Calle Aguada, 04149.
Kayak Rental & Excursions Cabo de Gata
Buceo Las Negras Las Negras (Website in Spanish).
Happy Kayak San Jose & La Fabriquilla (Website in Spanish).
cabodegatakayak.es Cabo de Gata (Website in Spanish).
Boat Trips & Excursions Cabo de Gata
Buceo Las Negras Las Negras (Website in Spanish).
Branquias Dive Centre Carboneras (Website in English).
El Cabo a Fondo Parque Natural (Website in English).
Boat Rental Cabo de Gata
Buceo Las Negras Las Negras (Website in Spanish).
The Beaches of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park
Water sports Levante
The Levante coastal waters feature masses of wide open space to indulge in a choice of water sports. Sailing is ever prevalent, the town of Garrucha and Villaricos village both offer marina moorings, and Mojacars lengthy waterfront has become a relatively new destination for devoted wind surfers and kite surfers.
Snorkelling and scuba diving are well established with the best dive areas around Villaricos and Carboneras.
Inland, the Cable Ski Park Cuevas de Almanzora, the only one of its kind in Almeria, provides water skiing and wake boarding by means of a cable instead of a boat. The park opened in July 2012 at the Cuevas de Almanzora rowing lake.
Scuba Diving off the Levante Coastline
A selection of professional scuba diving centres are located in the main resort areas of the Levante, they provide guidance to the top dive sites of the area, 
along with equipment, and diving courses for those wishing to get better acquainted with the amazing sea life. The Sierra de Villaricos, an underwater mountain range, and Isla de San Andres, the offshore island close to Carboneras, are the two leading diving destinations along this part of the coast, each area having their own dedicated diving centres. The scuba clubs in Mojacars beach resort provide programmes to both these locations along with trips to the dive sites of the near by Cabo de Gata.
Sierra de Villaricos
The off shore waters of the little harbour village of Villaricos are home to a marine mountain chain which provides a select geological environment, the marine life and scenery cannot fail to impress even the most seasoned of divers.
The Cathedral, a hollow mountain located about three kilometres out at sea with a maximum depth of 32m, this 
advanced diving site is said to be one of the finest in the area. The interior of the dome shaped cavern has multiple exit routes all of which, from the internal aspect, offer impressive colour variations of the deep blue sea. Inside the cave there are lobster, crab and small red scorpion fish, and on the outside, sea bream, morays and conger can be spotted.
Close to the Cathedral, and at a depth of 35m is the unforgettable Hermitage dive, 
another cave in the Villaricos mountain range, there are opportunities to see zebra and gilt head sea bream, tuna, groupers, and eels.
The Losa del Payo, situated far out at sea, is a medium to high experience immersion in the same mountain group, here the peaks summit between 6m to 10m from the sea surface yet offer diving depths to 33m. There are excellent chances to see barracuda, octopus, moonfish and rays.
Isla de San Andres
The natural monument of San Andres, a tiny island just off the coastline of Carboneras, is a protected area of specific environmental importance. Volcanic in nature, the island provides a shelter and a nesting ground for many sea birds such as Cormorants, Shearwaters and Yellow-legged Gulls, below the sea, the craters and hollows around the island, along with the Posidonia sea grass, provide a home for an array of sea life including cuttlefish, grouper, octopus and crab. The 
remarkable marine environment presents an exclusive range of immersions for divers of every experience level, though some of the dives are only suitable for the more competent.
The northern side of the island offers shallow dives of between 3m and 20m, suitable for any diver. Known as the Aquarium, the area owes it name to the exceptional variety of marine life and the clarity of the water, of intrinsic interest is the presence of the endangered Neptune grass, also known as Posidonia Oceanica.
The west of the island affords some intense 
attractions for the more capable diver, with depths from 5m to 31m, namely the El Crator, Arco de San Andres and El Motor. An exciting descent passing vertical walls of colour into the hollow of El Crator offers several route options, taking the large natural stone arch of San Andres extends the drop to 31m and offers sights of large conger eels, morays and octopus. The appeal of the El Motor dive, at a depth of 27m, is an engine from a second world war bomber plain, zebra sea bream, moonfish, and eels can be spotted at the site.
Isla de Terreros
A second natural monument and further example of the volcanic origin of the coastline. 
An island of environment interest for both its bird species on land and its underwater sea life, it is located off the coast of San Juan de los Terreros. Meadows of Posidonia seagrass surround the island providing a rich habitat for the marine species and dives can be arranged from the centre in San Juan.
The above dive sites are just a small representation of the wonders of the aquatic life of the Levante, for full details of the available dives throughout the Levante area, along with information of the scuba diving courses please visit the diving centre websites below.
Levante water sports centres
External links
Provided to help visitors make the most of the area. The links will open in a separate page.
Scuba Diving Centres
Buceo Carboneras Carboneras (Website in English).
Branquias Dive Centre Carboneras (Website in Spanish).
Buceo Mojacar Mojacar (Website in Spanish).
Calypso Diving and Kayak San Juan de los Terreros (Website in Spanish).
Centro de Buceo VillaricoSub Villaricos (Website in Spanish).
Boat Rentals / Jet Ski
Party Levante Garrucha Boat rentals, Yacht charters, Jet Ski, Scuba Diving. (Website in English).
Water sports clubs
Samoa Surf Mojacar Waterskiing, Wakeboarding, Sailing, Windsurfing, Wave Canoes, Banana rides. (FACEBOOK in English).
Sailing Clubs
Santa Irene Sailing Club Garrucha / Mojacar (Website in English).
Club Nautico Isla de San Andres Carboneras (Website in Spanish).
Kitesurfing Clubs
Kitesurf Sensei Garrucha (Website in Spanish).
Wakeboard and cable ski Park
Wasa Wake Cuevas de Almanzora (Website in English).
Water sports Poniente
Almerimar and Roquetas de Mar, including the resort of Aguadulce, are the main beach areas for water sports along the Poniente coastline, where sailing, kayak, catamaran, windsurfing and kitesurfing, 
snorkelling and scuba diving are all embraced, all three of these resorts have their own marina for boat moorings.
Scuba Diving off the Poniente coastline
The three principal scuba diving spots of the Poniente include the rocky coastline between the resort of Aguadulce and Almeria City, the Cerrillos area of the natural zone of Punta Entinas Sabinar to the south of Roquetas de Mar, and the natural monument Arrecife Barrera de Posidonia off the central shores of Roquetas de Mar. 
The Dives
La Laja de Cerrillos Norte y Sud, an area protected from fishing, comprising of stone slabs, caves and rocky meadows of Posidonia sea grass, where large colourful sponges, rock fish and eels are commonplace.
The Arrecife Barrera de Posidonia, a centrally situated reef along the Roquetas coastline, declared a natural monument for its well preserved example of Posidonia sea grass, 
it provides shelter to a large community of marine fauna, with fish, shrimps, crabs and sponges.
El Palmer, Bello Rincon and Las Gorgonias are some of the diving sites located between Aguadulce and Almeria City, the zone is made up of large rocks which have collapsed from the coastal cliffs forming passage ways and small caves. The maximum depth is approximately 16m and visibility is outstanding. Observations include shoals of seabass, bream, mullet and gudgeons, around the month of September it may be possible to see the lumpsucker. The rocks are a haven to star fish, brittle star, large sea anemones, colourful sea slugs, various crustaceans, and a great variety of red, green, and brown algae, octopus can be discovered hidden 
between the rock formations. The areas has a presence of several species of gorgonian coral, also known as sea whip or sea fan, at the Las Gorgonias dive, there are examples of white gorgonia, a rare and vulnerable species.
The above examples are a small representation of the wonders of the aquatic life of the Poniente, for full details of the available dives throughout the Poniente area, along with information of the scuba diving courses 
please contact the water sports centres below.
Poniente water sports centres
External links
Provided to help visitors make the most of the area. The links will open in a separate page.
AguaTours Aguadulce Diving courses and excursions, kayak trips and kayak rental. (Website in Spanish, with English option only part completed).
AWA Watersports Roquetas de Mar Catamaran sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and paddlesurf courses and equipment hire. (Website in Spanish).
Club Crised Scuba Diving Centre El Palmer Scuba diving courses and excursions. (Website in Spanish).
