Sálvora, Ons & Ría de Arousa · Spain · Reef · Kelp forest
Illa de Sálvora
National-park island at the mouth of the Ría de Arousa
Sálvora is the island at the mouth of the Ría de Arousa, one of the four archipelagos of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. Dives around it reach maximum depths from 12 to 25 m, through kelp forests, fish schools and nudibranchs, and the protection shows in more life and more species than elsewhere in the ría.
Also known as Isla de Sálvora.
Where it is and how deep
42.4742° N, 9.0129° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Sálvora sits in the Atlantic at the mouth of the Ría de Arousa, and it is part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. Because the island is protected, the amount of life and the variety of species met on its dives is greater than in the rest of the ría. Boats run out to it from the centres inside the ría, either for a half day with one dive or for a full day with two dives and lunch ashore on the island.
The dives around the island are suited to every level of diver, and the maximum depth chosen for each one runs from 12 m on the shallower plans to 25 m on the deeper ones. Underwater the island is known for its kelp forests, its schools of fish and its colourful nudibranchs.
Background
Sálvora is an island in the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Ría de Arousa, part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, which comprises the archipelagos of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada. Until 2002 the island was private property and closed to visitors, which goes a long way to explaining its excellent state of conservation. Its shores saw the wreck of the Santa Isabel in 1921, whose remains are dived today.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Sálvora, Ons & Ría de Arousa: The centres dive all year and no month is reported as best; the public ferries to Ons run in the high season, at Easter and from 15 May to 15 September.
Know before you go
- Cold water: Galicia's water runs between 13 and 17 °C; a good wetsuit, or better a semi-dry suit, is needed in winter.
Dive videos
BUCEO EN LA ISLA DE SALVORA · Pedro Alonso on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep are the dives at Sálvora?+
The maximum depth of the Sálvora dives runs from 12 m to 25 m, depending on the site chosen around the island.
What certification is needed to dive Sálvora?+
The dives suit all levels, Open Water and Advanced, but divers must be fully autonomous Open Water or two-star divers.
Sources
- Salidas de buceo (Centro de Buceo Medusa) — Náutica Medusa
- Isla de Sálvora (Hydronauta) — Centro de Buceo Hydronauta
- Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park — Wikipedia
- Vilagarcía de Arousa sea temperature — seatemperature.org
- Salidas de Buceo (Buceo Pontevedra, archived) — Portosub
- Illa de Sálvora (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors
Photo credits
- Sálvora island across the sea from above the rooftops of Aguiño, with rocky shoals between by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Sálvora, Ons & Ría de Arousa
Wreck
A 47 m freighter upright on her keel at 21 m
Reef
Granite blocks stacked into caves and passages
Reef
Boulder islet near the Isla de Arousa, 5 to 16 m
Wreck
Remains of Galicia's worst shipwreck, lost off Sálvora in 1921
Similar dives elsewhere
Reef
Atlantida
Boa Vista · Cabo Verde
A reef top for newer divers above a vertical drop to sand
Reef
Bajo de las Gorgonias
San Sebastián & Getaria · Spain
Large gorgonians over a rocky south face full of crustaceans
Three sponge-covered pinnacles off the Rooi-els shore
Reef
El Seno
San Sebastián & Getaria · Spain
Old anchors and cannons at the sheltered mouth of Pasaia