Diving in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

We frequently get asked if there is any diving or snorkelling in the sea next to Maspalomas or the adjoining resorts of Playa del Inglés, Sonnenland, San Agustin or Bahia Feliz in Gran Canaria. The answer is no. (sorry). Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles are best known for their beaches and the amazing sand-dunes behind the beach... which in diving terms means .. lots of sand and not much marine life and not much depth. You will probably find some bottom dwellers such as wide-eyed flounders and weeverfish (be careful not to stand on these) and at night predators such as ray and angelshark will hunt out creatures such as golden balearric conger, but compared to the main dive sites on Gran Canaria, the beaches are like the dunes that back them up .. a bit of a desert.

Divers also search for a PADI dive centre in Maspalomas, but because the adjacent diving is poor, there is currently no PADI Approved Dive Centre in Playa del Ingles, Mapaslomas, Meloneras, San Agustin or the other resorts of the 'Sur'. It may look on the map as though we are some distance from the hotels in the South but the motorway which links the South and North of the Island means that it is quick and easy to get from Maspalomas to Arinaga.

But do not worry. Maspalomas has always had a reputation as a sun lovers destination, and has all the attractions and facilities to make it a great family holiday destination. It is also only twenty minutes from the marine reserve at El Cabrón near Arinaga on the East Coast, regarded by all the locals as the best place to dive in Gran Canaria. There is plenty of diving, there is one of the best mixes of marine life on the island, and you can dive over ten different routes in the reserve. The area was featured in the January 2008 edition of 'BSAC Dive' magazine. If you are staying in Maspalomas then the place to go diving is in the Marine Reserve at Arinaga.

We offer a free collection service for divers from Maspalomas every day for divers, so that they can come here in our air conditioned mini-bus and enjoy the best diving in Gran Canaria, and be back with their family in Playa del Inglés, Maspalomas or Meloneras in time for afternoon tea.