A huge, almost square rock standing in the middle of a sandy inlet. The north face sits at about sixteen metres, the south face runs to twenty-four and references on the sand reach twenty-seven, with cracks and fissures cut through the stone. Old cars, boat remains and a jet ski lie on the bottom around it, and ocean sunfish pass in season.
Also known as Piedra de Enmedio.
Where it is and how deep
36.7208° N, 3.7263° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The rock is almost square and stands alone in a sandy inlet, which makes the dive easy to picture: a lap of one structure, out along one face and back along another. Buceo Aqualia puts a pinnacle at twelve metres, the north face at about sixteen and the south face down to twenty-four, with references on the surrounding sand as deep as twenty-seven. Cracks and fissures cut through the stone at every level.
On the bottom around the base there are pebbles under brown algae and a scatter of wreckage: old cars, the remains of a boat and a jet ski. Gorgonians and tube anemones grow on the rock, conger eels use the fissures, small life covers the faces, and ocean sunfish pass in season. The depth on the south side is what lifts the dive above beginner ground, even though the top of the rock is shallow.
Marine life and season
- Mola mola
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows La Herradura: Dived all year; December to March sits at 14-16 °C and winter storms cut visibility to 5-10 m for days, while spring and autumn hold the most consistent 15-25 m.
Sources
- Piedra de la Higuera — Scubago (SSI)
- Buceo en La Herradura - Piedra de la Higuera — Buceo Aqualia
- Inmersiones en La Herradura - tabla de puntos — Buceo España
More dive sites in La Herradura
Reef
Tunnels and overhangs under the Punta de la Mona cliff
Reef
Cracks and stacked-stone tunnels at about 14 m
The bay's course ground: 2 to 12 m of rock by the harbour
An orange Astroides wall with grottos, 6 to 21 m
Wall
Wall to three canyons, then routes from 25 to 48 m
Reef
A shallow cove lap, 6 to 15 m, best reached by boat
Wall
Wall diving on the Cerro Gordo cliffs, 8 to 22 m
A wall dive despite the name, 5 to 19 m
Similar dives elsewhere
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