Côte d'Azur · France · Pinnacle · Reef
Les Pyramides
A chain of rock heads under the Estérel, 6 m to 40 m
Area photo: Tangopaso · Public domain
A succession of rocky pinnacles off Cap Dramont at the foot of the Estérel, their heads topping out at anything between 6 and 40 m. Posidonia meadow and a strip of pale sand separate them, so the dive alternates between rock and open ground. Barracuda run large here, with grouper and moray eels in the rock and tuna passing outside.
Also known as Les Pyramides du Dramont.
Where it is and how deep
43.4114° N, 6.8418° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a succession of rocky mountains rather than one feature, their heads standing at different depths anywhere between 6 and 40 m. Which of them the boat drops you on decides the dive: take the shallow heads and it is a bright, unhurried circuit; go to the deeper ones and it becomes a deep dive with a hard turn point and not much bottom time to spend.
Between the pinnacles the ground is posidonia meadow and a strip of pale sand, and the light reflecting off the rocky peaks, the meadow and that sand is part of what the site is known for. Crossing the open ground between one head and the next is part of the route rather than dead time, so take it slowly and keep an eye out into the blue as well as down on the bottom.
The fish list is the Mediterranean at its fuller end: barracuda among the larger ones on this coast, grouper and moray eels holding in the rock, tuna out past the pinnacles and big groups of sardines and mackerel moving over the tops. Slow down on the rock itself for the small things, nudibranchs in particular, before working back to the shallower heads to finish.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Groupers
- Tuna
- Nudibranchs
- Reef fish swarms
| 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 Côte d'Azur: Water runs about 13°C in February and 25°C in August, and diving carries on year-round; the Théoule park's shore trail opens only from mid-June to mid-September.
Questions divers ask
How deep are Les Pyramides at Cap Dramont?+
The rock heads top out at different depths between 6 and 40 m, so the profile depends on which pinnacles the dive works. The shallow heads keep the dive well inside easy limits; the deepest ground is at 40 m.
Sources
- Les Pyramides - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
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