A mixed dive on the point rather than one feature: cliffs dropping to sandy bottoms, crevices, small grottos, and a wall covered in orange Astroides coral. Published depths run from six metres at the top to eighteen or twenty-one at the deepest, which keeps the whole site inside Open Water limits. One of the local centres calls it a favourite dive.
Also known as Punta del Vapor.
Where it is and how deep
36.7230° N, 3.7267° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The point gives a mixed dive rather than a single structure. There are cliffs dropping onto sandy bottoms, crevices cut into the rock, small grottos in the face, and a wall decorated with orange Astroides coral, the same coral that grows on shaded rock along this coast. Published depths start at six metres and reach eighteen or twenty-one at the deepest, so the whole site sits inside Open Water limits.
Work the wall first for the coral and the crevices, then the sand for what sits on it. Scorpionfish hold still against the rock and are easy to swim past, conger eels use the holes, octopus and cuttlefish come out over the mixed ground, and seabream pass along the drop. Being shallow, it takes the long, slow profile that suits a camera better than a route with a target at the end of it.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| 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
- Punta del Vaporcillo — Scubago (SSI)
- Inmersiones en La Herradura - tabla de puntos (Punta del Vapor) — 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
Stacked slabs and tunnels between 8 and 18 m
Reef
Tunnels and overhangs under the Punta de la Mona cliff
Similar dives elsewhere
Overhangs and rock walls to 20 m, good for finding octopus
Rocky walls, sand and small caves in 5 to 20 m of calm water
A reserve wall to 20 m with a small arch full of life
A sheltered 17 m wall behind Punta Madonna used as a natural pool for courses