Tenerife · Spain · Wreck · Drift · Wall
El Condesito
A cement-laden cargo ship broken among basalt columns, 6 m to 21 m
Photo: MoorsoP · CC BY-SA 4.0
A 43.9 m cargo ship that ran aground off Punta Rasca in 1973 with a load of cement and now lies broken among basalt columns at the southern tip of Tenerife, her highest point at 6 m and the deepest part of the site at 21 m. Strong current and decades of storms have worked on the hull, leaving the stern section and the boiler as the most intact parts of it.
Also known as Condesito.
Where it is and how deep
28.0069° N, 16.7054° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck sits between basalt columns on the seabed off Punta Rasca, and the dive over it is a simple one. The highest point of the hull is at 6 m and the deepest part of the site at 21 m, with the bulk of the remains lying in around 18 m, so the whole thing fits inside a single shallow profile. Visibility here can be in excess of 35 m, and on a clear day the shape of the wreck resolves from well above it.
Strong currents and the lash of the storms have spread the wreck rather than left it whole, and the stern section and the boiler are the areas that have survived best, so they are what a route is usually built around. Look into the aft hold for trumpet fish and catalufas, and along the plating for the small fire worms that cover the hull. PADI rates the site as a drift as well as a wreck, and the current is the reason.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Condesito
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Length
- 43.9 m (144 ft)
- Built
- 1945
- Sunk
- 1973
- Cause
- Ran aground off Punta Rasca while carrying cement
- Lies
- Broken among basalt columns, highest point at 6 m and deepest point at 21 m
The Condesito was completed in December 1945 and was transporting cement for the construction of Los Cristianos when she ran aground on 27 September 1973, about 50 metres from where the Punta Rasca lighthouse was later built. There were no deaths. Storms have broken her up in the decades since, and the stern section and the boiler are what remain most intact.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Tenerife: Divable all year in 18–25°C water; Jun–Oct is warmest and calmest, and winter swell mainly affects the north coast.
Know before you go
- Current across the site is strong enough that it is listed as a drift dive, so timing the entry and keeping the boat with the group matter more here than on the sheltered shore sites.
Photos from El Condesito
MoorsoP · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Tenerife Diving - El Condesito - wreck dive · scedwar on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is El Condesito?+
The highest point of the wreck is at 6 m and the deepest part of the site at 21 m, with most of the remains lying in around 18 m of water.
What ship is the El Condesito wreck?+
The Condesito, a 43.9 m cargo ship completed in December 1945, which ran aground off Punta Rasca on 27 September 1973 while carrying cement for the construction of Los Cristianos. Nobody died.
Sources
- Condesito — Wikipedia
- El Condesito dive site — PADI
Photo credits
- Broken steel ribs of the El Condesito wreck rising from the seabed, covered in algae by MoorsoP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A diver hovers above the corroded metal frame of the El Condesito wreck in green water by MoorsoP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Tenerife
Reef
Hexagonal basalt columns between 16 and 30 m
Reef
Rocky ground at 30 m, current, and tuna on occasion
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A cavern entrance at 49 m below a barracuda-covered cliff
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A pinnacle from 13 to 45 m with at least two routes on it
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Wall
An arch at 38 to 45 m on a ledge that falls to 60
Wall
A V-shaped platform at 25 m with a drop-off to 40
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