Costa Blanca · Spain · Reef
Los Arcos
A maze of fallen-boulder arches at 15 m, crusted with sponges and anemones
Area photo: diego_cue · CC BY-SA 3.0
A maze of arches at the foot of the Peñón de Ifach, formed where large boulders fell from the rock in the distant past and now stand encrusted with sponges and anemones. The maximum depth is 15 m, which makes it an easy, relaxed dive for every level, with schools of damselfish, octopus, eels and rays among the stones.
Where it is and how deep
38.6365° N, 0.0779° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Los Arcos is the shallow end of the Peñón, no deeper than 15 m, and is dived either on its own or as the finish of the one-way route from El Peñón. In the distant past large boulders and rock fell from the Peñón above and came to rest against one another, and the gaps between them form a maze of arches. Sponges and anemones encrust the stone, so the arches are worth a slow pass with a torch as much as a swim-through.
Schools of damselfish hang around the arches, and in the recesses between boulders there are scorpionfish, octopus, moray eels and conger eels. Eagle rays and stingrays are on the operator's regular list too, along with goldline and wrasses among the rocks. With a 15 m maximum the whole dive is within an easy profile, which is why the site is run for divers of every level.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Eagle rays
- 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 Los Arcos?+
The maximum depth is 15 m, which makes it an easy and relaxing dive for divers of every level.
What lives in the arches at Los Arcos?+
Sponges and anemones encrust the boulders, with schools of damselfish, scorpionfish, octopus, moray and conger eels, eagle rays, stingrays, goldline and wrasses around them.
Sources
- Los Arcos - Scubago — Scubago
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