Medes Islands · Spain · Cave & cavern
La Vaca Sud
Tunnels cutting clean through the island at 14–24 m
Area photo: Alexandre Albore · CC BY-SA 4.0
A set of tunnels that cross the island from one side to the other, found between 14 and 24 metres. The site is very well protected from the north wind, which makes it one of the reserve's reliable options when the exposed faces are out, and currents can run through the passages from either the north or the south.
Where it is and how deep
42.0473° N, 3.2260° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The draw here is a set of tunnels that cut through the island from one side to the other, lying between 14 and 24 metres. You descend and pick the passages up at depth, and from there the dive is a sequence of tunnels rather than a route across open reef — into shadow at one end, out at the other, with rock close on both sides for the length of each swim-through.
The passages run right through the island rather than dead-ending, which is what keeps this a recreational dive rather than a cave dive, but they still reward tidy trim: fins kept high, hands off the rock, nothing dangling. It is an overhead all the same, so the group stays together and the pace is set by whoever is slowest through the narrowest part of a passage.
Current is the variable to plan for. It can run inside the tunnels from either the north or the south, so the direction a passage is swum may be decided at its entrance rather than on the boat. The compensation is shelter: the site is very well protected from the north wind, so it stays workable on days when the north-facing sites of the archipelago are out.
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.
Know before you go
- Current can run inside the tunnels from either the north or the south; check the flow at the entrance and swim the passage with it rather than against it.
- The passages are confined enough that loose gauges, torches and spools snag on rock; clip everything close before entering and keep fins clear of the floor.
Questions divers ask
How deep are the tunnels at La Vaca Sud?+
The tunnels that cross the island lie between 14 and 24 metres, which puts the dive in a straightforward recreational band. The passages run right through the island rather than dead-ending into it.
Do I need cave training for La Vaca Sud?+
No. The tunnels cross the island from one side to the other rather than dead-ending, so they are swim-throughs rather than a cave system. What they do need is settled buoyancy and streamlined gear, plus attention to current, which can run through the passages from either the north or the south.
Sources
- La Vaca Sud — Scubago
- 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
Limestone platform rising almost to the surface off Meda Gran
Cave & cavern
A daylit tunnel system inside Meda Gran
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
An air dome at the end of the first cave
A 30 m tunnel through the cliffs from 6 m, plus a cavern with an air bubble
Narrow swim-throughs and a small air pocket inside the rock, 18 m max