Golfe de Valinco · France · Pinnacle · Wall
Les Cathédrales
Rock towers rising from 50 m to 6 m below the surface
Area photo: Valinco Drone · CC BY-SA 4.0
Les Cathédrales is the best known of the rock heads in the middle of the Golfe de Valinco. Its ridges are anchored on the bottom at 50 m and stand vertically out of it like towers, the shortest stopping 17 m under the surface and the tallest reaching to within 6 m of it. Plateaus step away from the base at 30, 40 and 60 m, and the rock carries red gorgonians and encrusting anemones.
Where it is and how deep
41.6938° N, 8.7981° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The tallest of the towers comes up to within 6 m of the surface, so the descent starts on rock rather than in open water. The ridges run down the outside of the site to 50 m, and the shorter crests alongside stop at 17 m, which gives the descent a wall on one side the whole way. How far down you follow them is a question of qualification rather than terrain.
Away from the base of the towers the ground steps out in plateaus at 30, 40 and 60 m. In places the rock is covered by encrusting anemones and by the red gorgonians the site is known for. Grouper sit in the cracks, corb and dentex work over the crests, and barracuda hang above the relief with the moray tucked into it. The ascent is made back up a tower, which leaves you shallow rock to hold the safety stop against.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Golfe de Valinco: Both centres run April to November and close for the winter; the water is 18 °C at the edges of that season and 23 °C at its height.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Les Cathédrales?+
The rock head comes to within 6 m of the surface and the ridges are anchored at 50 m. Plateaus around the base lie at 30, 40 and 60 m, so most of the dive is spent between 6 and 40 m depending on your qualification.
What will I see at Les Cathédrales?+
Red gorgonians and encrusting anemones on the rock, with grouper, corb, dentex, moray and barracuda on and above the towers.
Sources
- les cathedrales — Scubago (SSI)
- Spot plongée Corse - Propriano (archived) — Propriano Plongée via Wayback Machine
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