Rock-and-sand ground on the Punta de la Mona side of La Herradura, named for the large stone that breaks the surface above it. An initial plain sits at about eight metres and the usual route runs out to eighteen, over slabs stacked into tunnels and a section of fallen blocks. Boat is the sensible way in, though the site is also dived from the beach or by jumping from the cliff.
Where it is and how deep
36.7258° N, 3.7375° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The ground is a rock-to-sand interface. An initial plain sits at about eight metres, with the rock stacked into overlapping slabs that form tunnels, and a zone of fallen blocks alongside it. The usual route works out over that ground to about eighteen metres, the deepest part of the normal dive, where the sand takes over from the rock and the fish life gathers along the boundary between the two.
The return leg comes back shallower, flying over the rock formations at ten to twelve metres and finishing at the large stone that breaks the surface and gives the site its name, which is worth the time it takes. On the rock the local lists name orange coral and gorgonians, with nudibranchs, and seabream and triggerfish over the sand edge.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| 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.
Know before you go
- The cliff jump is a one-way entry if conditions turn: a change of wind or tide can leave the rock you jumped from impossible to climb. Check the exit before committing, or take the boat.
Sources
- Piedra del Hombre — Scubago (SSI)
- Buceo en La Herradura - Piedra del Hombre — Buceo Aqualia
- Inmersiones en La Herradura - tabla de puntos — Buceo España
More dive sites in La Herradura
Reef
A shallow cove lap, 6 to 15 m, best reached by boat
A wall dive despite the name, 5 to 19 m
Reef
Blocks down to a 32 m plain, with a grouper under a 44 m overhang
Reef
Shallow Cerro Gordo bottom diving east of Cantarriján
Wall
Wall diving on the Cerro Gordo cliffs, 8 to 22 m
Pinnacle
A square rock in the sand, with old cars on the bottom
Reef
Tunnels and overhangs under the Punta de la Mona cliff
Wall
Wall to three canyons, then routes from 25 to 48 m
Similar dives elsewhere
White gorgonians, nudibranchs and lobsters in the faults at 18 to 20 m
Steps from the lighthouse car park into the cape's main shore dive
A whitewater reef to 21 m that has taken ships for centuries
A reef grown over 2,000-year-old amphorae at 13-18 m