Columbretes Diving Guide

With the aim of promoting sustainable diving, the << Sustainable Diving Guide of the Columbretes Islands >> was born with the collaboration of associations, clubs and local diving centers as an active part of the project.

The project consists of developing a tool for divers who want to commit to the conservation and defense of this natural space through knowledge and interpretation of the environment.

This guide is intended to encourage recreational diving to be as sustainable as possible through the awareness of those who carry out this activity. To this end, it aims to raise awareness about the singularities of the seabed of the Columbretes Islands and that this knowledge becomes a greater commitment to the marine environment.

The archipelago of the Columbretes Islands, located 30 nautical miles (about 50 km) off the coast of Castellón, is made up of four groups of islands and islets of volcanic origin. The main ones are Illa Grossa, La Ferrera, La Foradada and El Carallot.

The waters that surround them were declared a Marine Reserve with the intention of protecting species of fishing interest in the area in 1990.

This protection, together with their isolation and a great variety of environments (walls, rocky bottoms, sandy bottoms, phanerogam meadows …), has led to them harboring a varied marine life, making them one of the biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean.

Among other species, the Mediterranean stem coral (Cladocora caespitosa), the red lobster (Palinurus elephas) ​​and the grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) stand out.