Mallorca · Spain · Cave & cavern
Palma Caves
Cavern entrances at 8 m, with shrimps, lobsters and snake starfish inside
Photo: Николай Максимович · CC BY 3.0
Palma Caves is a cavern site off Palma with the cave entrances at 8 m and a maximum depth of about 16 m. It is pitched at Advanced divers taking their first look at cave diving: the shallow depth keeps the profile simple, the caves hold shrimps, crabs, lobsters and snake starfish, and there is a good chance of a giant dory in the open water outside.
Where it is and how deep
39.5449° N, 2.6201° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts outside the caves in open water, and this is where to look for the giant dory, which the operator gives a good chance of seeing. The entrances are at 8 m, so the descent is short and the whole dive sits in the shallow part of a recreational profile, with the maximum depth about 16 m. That leaves gas and time for the caves themselves rather than for depth, which is the point of the site.
Inside the caves the life is small and close: shrimps, crabs and lobsters on the rock and the snake starfish that the operator singles out as the interesting find. The site is described as ideal for advanced divers who want a first experience of cave diving, and the dive works through the caves and back out to the entrances at 8 m, where it finishes in open water for the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Mallorca: One Santa Ponça centre runs daily April–October and weekends only Nov–Mar; May–Sep brings the calmest seas and warmest water, with leisure-boat traffic in the bays at the height of summer.
Know before you go
- The caves are an overhead environment; enter only with the guide and keep to the route back to the 8 m entrances.
- Fine buoyancy control matters inside the caves; stay off the floor and ceiling so the water stays clear for the divers behind you.
Photos from Palma Caves
José Luis Filpo Cabana · CC BY 3.0
Questions divers ask
How deep are the Palma Caves?+
The cave entrances are at 8 m and the maximum depth is about 16 m, so the challenge is the overhead rather than the depth.
Do I need a cave certification for Palma Caves?+
The source pitches it at Advanced divers who want a first experience of cave diving and does not state a cave certification requirement; the entrances are at 8 m and the maximum depth is about 16 m.
Sources
- Palma Caves — Scubago
Photo credits
- Two dark sea cave openings at the waterline of a limestone cliff near Cala Major, Palma by Николай Максимович, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panoramic view of the Cala Major coastline near Palma with calm blue water and low cliffs by José Luis Filpo Cabana, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Mallorca
Wall
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Reef
Rocky plateaus and small caves stepping from 8 m down to 30 m
Wreck
A small boat at 18 m with mast and boxes intact, two more hulls at 27 m
Reef
Tunnels through the rock, a small wreck and a plane wing between 6 and 35 m
Wreck
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