Costa Blanca · Spain · Reef
El Laberinto
Swim-throughs between boulders and three kinds of ray on the sand
Area photo: diego_cue · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Labyrinth, 10 minutes from Moraira, is a playful dive through alternating Posidonia gardens, sand and boulders, with a couple of swim-throughs between the rock formations. The maximum depth is 14 to 17 m depending on the route, the sand is home to butterfly, torpedo and stingrays, and barracuda sometimes show over the seagrass.
Also known as The Labyrinth.
Where it is and how deep
38.6943° N, 0.1562° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
El Laberinto is a short boat ride, about 10 minutes from Moraira, and a dive that changes ground every few minutes. The route alternates between Posidonia gardens, patches of sandy bottom and clusters of boulders and rock formations, with a couple of swim-throughs threaded between the rocks. Because there is more than one way through, the maximum depth lands somewhere between 14 and 17 m depending on the route the guide takes.
Each kind of ground has its animals. The sandy bottom is where to look for rays, and three kinds live here: butterfly rays, torpedo rays and stingrays. Around the Posidonia gardens there is a chance of barracuda if you are lucky. Because the route varies, where the dive finishes varies with it: the guide picks the way through the boulders and seagrass on the day, and the profile stays shallow throughout.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Costa Blanca: Dived all year, but the water sits near 14 °C from January to March and the season is treated as starting in spring; peak-season boat traffic closes some cave surfacing.
Questions divers ask
How deep is El Laberinto?+
The maximum depth is between 14 and 17 m, depending on which route through the boulders and seagrass the guide takes.
What rays can you see at El Laberinto?+
Butterfly rays, torpedo rays and stingrays all live on the sandy bottom between the Posidonia gardens and the boulders.
Sources
- El Laberinto - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Costa Blanca
Cave & cavern
A 50 m training cavern at 17 m, 15 minutes from Moraira port
Passages of light between enormous boulders, white gorgonians throughout
Cave & cavern
Barracuda at the cave corner and an open chamber to surface in, off-season
Wall
One-way along the Peñón to 27 m, ending in the arches of Los Arcos
Reef
A varied 10–20 m reef with everything from lobsters to barracuda
Wall
A sea-cut bowl in the Peñón to 35 m where amberjack and barracuda gather
Two faces of a rocky islet: boulders to 26 m, Posidonia shallows and barracuda shoals
Reef
A maze of fallen-boulder arches at 15 m, crusted with sponges and anemones
Similar dives elsewhere
White gorgonians, nudibranchs and lobsters in the faults at 18 to 20 m
Blocks, caves and furrows in the south face that took ships' anchors
Gorgonians on the vertical north wall of a submerged island
A plateau below the lighthouse with barracuda, groupers and cuttlefish