Cabo Tiñoso (La Azohía, Isla Plana & Puerto de Mazarrón), the area around El Arco

Cabo Tiñoso (La Azohía, Isla Plana & Puerto de Mazarrón) · Spain · Seamount

El Arco

A submerged rock arch at 5–8 m with a shoal running south

Area photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0

El Arco takes its name from a submerged rock arch at 5 to 8 m, and it is one of the better-known dives on this coast, lying between El Muellecico and La Loberica. From the arch a shoal runs south and drops away to 37 m over sand, with the dive itself averaging about 20 m. Shoals of bream, corvina and barracuda work the rock, and eagle rays and ocean sunfish turn up occasionally.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of El Arco: typical dive 5–20 m (15–66 ft), deepest point 37 m (121 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m20 m37 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

37.5340° N, 1.1148° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

The dive begins under the arch, a span of rock between 5 and 8 m that is the site's signature and shallow enough to hold plenty of light. From there the ground extends south as a shoal, gaining depth in stages until it meets sand at 37 m. The dive as a whole averages about 20 m, so how far down that slope you follow the rock is the decision that shapes the profile.

Away from the walls the rock gives way to algae beds, and the fish stack up around them: shoals of bream and corvina, barracuda, bogue, damselfish and dentex, with forkbeard, moray, conger and lobster tucked into the structure and nudibranchs on it. Ocean sunfish, torpedo rays and eagle rays are occasional visitors rather than the reason to book. Finish back at the shallow end, where the arch makes an easy, well-lit safety stop.

Marine life and season

  • Barracuda
  • Reef fish swarms
  • Nudibranchs
Month-by-month season rating for El Arco
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Season follows Cabo Tiñoso (La Azohía, Isla Plana & Puerto de Mazarrón): June to September is the comfortable window, and visibility can reach 30 m against a 15 m average; centres run trips year-round, with winter water near 15 °C.

Sources

  1. El Arco — Scubago — Scubago
  2. Guía de puntos de buceo en Mazarrón y en la Reserva Marina de Cabo Tiñoso — Buceo Hispania

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