Costa Brava · Spain · Reef · Sand slope
Cala Margarida
A pool ladder into a cove of nudibranchs and shrimp
Photo: Alan Mattingly · CC BY-SA 4.0
A cove very close to Port Marina in Palamós, dived from the beach or from a boat, with a pool ladder at the end of it for getting in and out of the water. The ground starts at 2 m, averages about 12 m and reaches 28 m at its deepest, and the cove is full of nudibranchs and shrimp — the prawns Palamós is known for among them.
Also known as Cala Margarita.
Where it is and how deep
41.8486° N, 3.1408° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The cove sits beside Port Marina in Palamós, and the access is as easy as it gets on this coast: a pool ladder is fixed at the end of the cove, so a shore dive here is a walk down and a step in, and the boat option exists for anyone who would rather be dropped. Depth builds gently from 2 m, with the listed average around 12 m and the deepest ground at 28 m.
This is a searching dive rather than a swimming one. An outfall pipe runs seaward from the middle and left of the cove, visible from about 20 m off the shore, and it leads to the rock formations where congers sit, nudibranchs are numerous and shrimp — the prawns Palamós is known for — share the ground with many other invertebrates. Visibility is listed as medium, 5 to 10 m, lower than the offshore sites on this coast, and current as low, under a knot, so the cove holds up as a second dive of the day or as a first dive back after a break.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Costa Brava: Surface water sits near 13 °C from January to March and peaks around 25 °C in August; local guidance is 5 mm in July and August, 7 mm April to June and September to October, drysuit the rest.
Photos from Cala Margarida
Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0
Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0
Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions divers ask
Can you dive Cala Margarida from the shore?+
Yes. The cove lies very close to Port Marina in Palamós, the land access is described as very good, and a pool ladder at the end of the cove is there to get in and out of the water. It is also dived from a boat.
Sources
- Cala Margarita — Scubago
- Cala Margarida — Wannadive — Wannadive.net
Photo credits
- Cala Margarida, a pebbly cove below Cap Gros near Palamós by Alan Mattingly, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Waterfront houses along the rocky shore at Cala Margarida by Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cala Margarida and the Palamós marina seen from Cap Gros at dusk by Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Low rocky reef breaking the surface beside Cala Margarida by Enric, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Costa Brava
A shore dive 30 m from the base, inside a buoy line
Twin gorges between three walls, 10 m down to 40 m
Drift
Three rocky bars round the cape, dived as a drift
Cave & cavern
A 120 m grotto from a 12 m entrance to bats at the far end
Wreck
A confiscated navy tug from 18 m to a 32 m seabed
Reef
Large congers on a rock seven minutes from Tamariu
Sand slope
A pool-like training bay from 1 to 8 m
A swim-through cave at 12 m beside the mooring
Similar dives elsewhere
Shallow cove diving at the foot of the Cabo de Palos lighthouse
Gorgonians on the vertical north wall of a submerged island
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
A giant anchor and its chain links lying at 21 m
Sand, coralligenous and rock between 12 and 30 m