South America · Argentina
Las Grutas
Five scuttled fishing boats at 18 to 28 m in the Golfo San Matías
Photo: emiliokuffer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Las Grutas is a Patagonian beach town on the Golfo San Matías whose diving centres on the Parque Submarino Las Grutas, an underwater park of scuttled fishing boats. Five former fishing boats lie at 18 to 28 m, from the 23 m Don Félix at 18 m to the 45 m Magdalena María II at 28 m, and the Mariana Rojamar, Chiarpesca 59 and Polar Borg I are prepared for penetration. A submerged rock formation off the Tercera Bajada dive platform, 3 to 6 m deep, takes first dives and holds much of the local Patagonian marine life.
About diving in Las Grutas
Diving runs out of the town itself. Cota Cero Buceo works from the Tercera Bajada beach access, and Aguayo Buceo opened a shop in the Shopping Las Olas in 2025. The wrecks are reached by boat: the park begins about 5 km south of town, off the Piedras Coloradas beaches, and stretches some 10 km south-southeast to Banco Buque, with the Don Félix only a few minutes' run out. Intro dives start from the platform in front of the Tercera Bajada.
All five wrecks were large fishing boats sunk on purpose as artificial reefs, at depths between 18 and 28 m. The Mariana Rojamar, Chiarpesca 59 and Polar Borg I have been prepared for penetration; the Don Félix has not. Inshore, the rock off the Tercera Bajada lies at 3 to 6 m. The fish include sargos, meros, salmones, cabrillas and besugos, with starfish, polychaete worms, crustaceans and molluscs. Patagonian seahorses and fields of feather coral also live in the gulf.
The park suits divers who want wreck diving, from a first wreck at 18 m to penetration on the deeper hulls; the shallow platform also makes Las Grutas a place to learn, and the wrecks are used to certify specialty courses such as dry suit or wreck. Divers who want larger rock formations, with more current and depth, are pointed to other sites: La Isla to the south and Playa Orengo to the north.
Best time to dive Las Grutas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Diving runs all year; December to March is summer and the high season, with the water averaging about 19 °C in February against 10 to 11 °C in August.
Dive types & marine life
Underwater, the reef fish, starfish, crustaceans and molluscs of the Patagonian coast live on the rock and the wrecks, and Patagonian seahorses and feather corals live in the gulf. Sea lions, Magellanic penguins, whales and dolphins frequent the coast, and the courtship of the dolphins can be watched from August to September.
- Wreck
- Reef
Best dive sites in Las Grutas
- 1
Don Félix
A 23 m fishing boat at about 18 m, a few minutes by boat from town.
- 2
Mariana Rojamar
A 35 m fishing boat at about 24 m, prepared for penetration.
- 3
Chiarpesca 59
A 36 m fishing boat at about 22 m, prepared for penetration.
- 4
Magdalena María II
A fishing boat scuttled at 28 m on sand that was bare before it went down.
- 5
Polar Borg I
A fishing boat sunk in 2020 at about 28 m, prepared for penetration.
- 6
Tercera Bajada platform
A submerged rock formation at 3–6 m reached from a dive platform, used for intro dives.
Site guides
Wreck
A 36 m fishing boat at about 22 m with a hull prepared for entry
Wreck
The park's shallowest hull, at about 18 m and minutes from town
Wreck
A 45 m hull on sand at 28 m, about five storeys tall
Wreck
A 35 m fishing boat at about 24 m, prepared for divers to enter
Wreck
A fishing boat sunk in 2020, lying at about 28 m
Rock at 3 to 6 m off a dive platform, home of the town's intro dives
How to get to Las Grutas
Las Grutas is 200 km from Viedma. The San Antonio Oeste airport lies on the road to Las Grutas and has had LADE flights twice a week, though it had no passenger service as of January 2020; Viedma and Puerto Madryn are the nearest other airports. Long-distance buses stop at the Las Grutas terminal, or at San Antonio Oeste, where a local bus runs every 30 minutes and takes about 15 minutes.
Dive videos
Buceando el Mariana Rojamar y Polarborg1 - Las Grutas, Argentina · ISDC en Español on YouTube
Diving Patagonia, Las Grutas, Argentina 2017 · Dario Cariboni on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Which Las Grutas wrecks can divers enter?+
Three wrecks are prepared for penetration: the Mariana Rojamar, Chiarpesca 59 and Polar Borg I. The Don Félix, at about 18 m and a few minutes by boat from town, is the shallowest hull.
When is the best time to dive Las Grutas?+
Diving runs all year, with December to March the summer high season, when booking ahead is advisable. The water averages about 19 °C in February against 10 to 11 °C in August.
When can dolphins be seen at Las Grutas?+
The courtship of the dolphins can be watched from August to September. Sea lions, Magellanic penguins and whales also frequent the coast.
How do divers get to Las Grutas?+
Las Grutas is 200 km from Viedma, and Viedma and Puerto Madryn are the nearest other airports. Long-distance buses stop at the Las Grutas terminal or at San Antonio Oeste, where a local bus takes about 15 minutes.
Sources
- Las Grutas dive site | PADI — PADI
- Buceo – Las Grutas Turismo — Secretaría de Turismo Las Grutas
- Las Grutas - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Es el parque de buceo más grande de América del Sur - La Nación — La Nación
- Aguayo Buceo inauguró su local — Informativo Hoy
- Cota Cero Buceo | PADI — PADI
- San Antonio Oeste Water Temperature — Sea Temperatures
- Las Grutas - Wikiviajes — Wikivoyage
- San Antonio Oeste - Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Las Grutas water temperature — seatemperature.info
Photo credits
- Sea caves cut into a yellow sandstone cliff above a sandy beach, with green algae on the rocks at low tide by emiliokuffer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
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