Medes Islands · Spain · Cave & cavern · Reef
La Reina
Limestone platform rising almost to the surface off Meda Gran
Area photo: Alexandre Albore · CC BY-SA 4.0
A dive on the east side of Meda Gran, named for the small cave found on top of the island above it. Underwater it is a limestone bottom with a large platform that rises almost to the surface, and the depths worked on the dive run between 8 and 24 metres. It is one of the reserve's named underwater itineraries.
Also known as Cova de la Reina.
Where it is and how deep
42.0466° N, 3.2254° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
La Reina takes its name from a small cave up on the island itself, on the east side of Meda Gran. Underwater the bottom is limestone, and a large platform rises from it almost to the surface, which is what shapes the dive: a shallow top to work along and a flank to drop down when you want depth. Depths across the site run between 8 and 24 metres.
The dive is worked around that platform — over the top of it, where the rock is close enough to the surface for the light to be strong, then down its flank to the deeper ground at 24 metres, and back up again. Because the shallow section is genuinely shallow, the site gives long bottom times without much planning, and the deeper edge is optional rather than the point of the dive.
Everything happens within reach of the boat, and the ascent is straightforward: back onto the shallow platform, safety stop over rock rather than in blue water, and up. Diving in the reserve is regulated — a permit arranged through an authorised dive centre, and a daily quota on the number of divers — so a place here is booked in advance rather than decided at the harbour on the morning.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Medes Islands: Jun–Sep brings the warmest water, calmest seas, and peak grouper and fish activity; most dive centers scale back Dec–Feb.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the dive at La Reina?+
Between 8 and 24 metres. A large limestone platform rises almost to the surface and forms the shallow part of the site, with the deeper ground off its flank at 24 metres — a range that keeps bottom times long.
Is La Reina suitable for new divers?+
Largely, yes. A large limestone platform rises almost to the surface, so the shallow half of the dive is comfortable ground for an Open Water diver. The deeper edge at 24 metres is optional, and the whole dive is run within reach of the boat.
Sources
- La Reina — Scubago
- Illes Medes — Wikipedia
- Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park — Wikivoyage
More dive sites in Medes Islands
Pinnacle
The archipelago's busiest dive: a rock from 4 m to 45 m
A 5 m cave passage that comes out at Dofí Sud
Cave & cavern
Backlit galleries under Meda Petita, red coral on the wall
Cave & cavern
A daylit tunnel system inside Meda Gran
Cave & cavern
Tunnels cutting clean through the island at 14–24 m
Reef
Coral beds, posidonia meadow and sand in a single dive
Wall
Vertical gorgonian walls dropping to 42 m off Meda Gran
Wall
A gorgonian wall above drop-offs past 40 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A 50 m training cavern at 17 m, 15 minutes from Moraira port
A 30 m tunnel through the cliffs from 6 m, plus a cavern with an air bubble
A natural rock tunnel to swim through at 15-20 m
Light-filled entrance caverns at 15 m, one leading into a 2 km cave