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38.50° N · 0.22° W · Villajoyosa

Your first dive, at Benidorm Island, with an instructor all to yourself.

A diving centre at Villajoyosa's Club Náutico takes you by boat to Benidorm Island, inside the Serra Gelada Natural Park, for your first dive with a tank. You go with an instructor just for you, down to 6 metres, and before that you warm up with a spell of snorkelling.

Part of VillajoyosaHorse riding routes in Spain

Benidorm Island, of rock, above the blue seaDiego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Duration4 h
Minimum age10 years
Best timeSummer, Tuesday to Saturday; spring and autumn, weekends and public holidays
StartClub Náutico de La Vila Joiosa
DepthDown to 6 m
In the water20 min of snorkel and 50–60 min dive
TotalAbout 4 h
AgeFrom age 10
Price€160

Who offers it

Companies that run it

School · Villajoyosa

Ali Sub

Taster dive in the Serra Gelada, with own instructor. Includes equipment, insurance, boat to the island, prior snorkelling and instructor. Usually departs mid-morning

4 h · Ages 10 and up · Summer, Tuesday to Saturday; spring and autumn, weekends and public holidays

From €160 per person Visit their website
School · Villajoyosa

Ali Sub

Guided dive in the Serra Gelada, for certified divers. Two dives, €115; night dive, €75. Maximum seven divers per guide. Full equipment hire, €30

From €60 per dive Visit their website

Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.

Step by step

How the route goes

  1. 1MeetingClub Náutico

    You arrive at the centre, are given the equipment and the instructor explains the dive and the signals you will use underwater.

  2. 220 minSailing to the Serra Gelada

    By boat to Benidorm Island or a nearby cove.

  3. 320 minSnorkel

    First at the surface, with mask and snorkel, to get used to the water.

  4. 450–60 minThe dive

    With the tank and your instructor beside you, down to 6 metres.

  5. 5ReturnTo port

    Sailing back and farewell. In all, about four hours.

Benidorm Island can be seen from all over the bay. Underwater it is something else: rock walls with coralline algae, anemones and shoals of fish. An introductory dive is the way to see it without a diving certificate.

What an introductory dive is and what this one is like

An introductory dive is a first dive with a tank, with no previous course, accompanied at all times by an instructor. Ali Sub's has two things that are not always the case: the instructor is just for you, not for a group, and before going down you do about 20 minutes of snorkelling to get used to the water, the mask and breathing through your mouth.

From the centre, at the Club Náutico de La Vila Joiosa, you sail about 20 minutes to the Serra Gelada Natural Park, to Benidorm Island or a nearby cove, depending on the state of the sea. The dive lasts between 50 and 60 minutes and does not go beyond 6 metres. With the meeting, briefing, sailing and return, allow about four hours. It usually leaves mid-morning.

Guides who explain what you see

Ali Sub has operated since 1999 and is run by biologists and naturalists. Before each outing they explain which ecosystems you will find and which animals live in them. On the island, each spot has its own character: Punta Garbí, with shoals of damselfish and good light; Los Arcos, with a colourful rocky bottom; the Embarcadero, sheltered on levante days. About 400 metres to the south is the Llosa, a platform at about 7 metres with walls dropping much deeper, the most popular dive in the area for those who already have a certificate.

Price, age and season

The introductory dive costs €160 and includes equipment, insurance, the boat to the island, the preliminary snorkel and the instructor. From age 10. You must be able to swim or at least be comfortable in the water. In summer it runs Tuesday to Saturday; in spring and autumn, weekends and public holidays. The website gives no winter dates: ask.

If you already have a certificate, the centre organises guided dives in the Serra Gelada: €60 for one, €115 for two in a sea morning and €75 for the night dive, with a maximum of seven divers per guide. Full equipment can be hired for €30. If you like the introductory dive, the SSI Open Water Diver course costs €480.

Booking and getting there

The centre is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00; book on 618 15 75 12, by WhatsApp or at [email protected]. It is on avenida del Puerto, at the Club Náutico, at the end of Playa Centro. Without a car, TRAM line 1 stops in the town and the port is a walk away.

Who it's for

Is it for you?

What to bring

  • Swimsuit on
  • Towel and warm clothes for the boat
  • Sun cream
  • Water and something to eat
  • Prescription glasses if you need them: ask whether they have a prescription mask

Map

Park, eat and stay nearby

What you have around the starting point.

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

More to do

More plans in Villajoyosa

A room in the Valor Chocolate Museum, with antique machinery on display
Valor Chocolate Museum and factory view45-minute guided visit through the museum, the cocoa sensory room and a panoramic view of the factory, with a tasting · Monday to Saturday.
The fortress-church of the Asunción above Villajoyosa's old town
Old town, wall and colourful housesThe BIC historic ensemble: the Renaissance wall, the fortress-church of the Asunción and the painted houses facing the river and the sea · 1 h · free.
The Torre del Xarco above the rocky coast south of Villajoyosa
Kayaking along the Southern Coves of Villajoyosa to the Torre del XarcoGuided 3 h route in a double kayak past four coves and the Torre del Xarco, with snorkelling · €39 adults, €12 children aged 4 to 9.
Three workers beside the machinery at the Chocolates Pérez factory
Chocolates Pérez factory and museumGuided visit to the museum and the artisan chocolate factory that has worked on the same site since 1892 · Monday to Saturday mornings.

Tips

Worth knowing first

  1. 1
    Book in season

    With one instructor per person, each outing has few places.

  2. 2
    Ask about seasickness

    The boat trip is short, but if you get seasick, mention it when you book.

  3. 3
    For the rest of the group

    Anyone who does not want to dive can try the same centre's snorkel outing, €50, or the kayak along the southern coves.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much is an introductory dive in Villajoyosa?

With Ali Sub, €160 per person, with equipment, insurance, boat, preliminary snorkel and your own instructor.

How deep do you go?

Down to 6 metres.

From what age can it be done?

From age 10.

Do I need to know how to swim?

The centre asks that you can swim or at least be comfortable in the water.

How long does it last?

About four hours in total, with 20 minutes of snorkelling and a dive of 50 to 60 minutes.

Which days does it run?

In summer, Tuesday to Saturday; in spring and autumn, weekends and public holidays.

Where do you dive?

At Benidorm Island, within the Serra Gelada Natural Park, or in a nearby cove, depending on the sea.

From €160 per person
4 h
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