Tenerife: A Guide to Geological Diving, Wildlife Diving and Wreck Diving

In my opinion, there is nowhere more magical and intriguing than the world beneath the ocean’s surface. The thrill of descending into the depths and uncovering the bizarre and colourful marine life, haunting shipwrecks, amazing geological formations and the stretches of nothin

gness is unlike any other experience.

If you too have this affinity with the world under the surface, then I highly recommend our diving holidays in Tenerife. The Canary Islands are an excellent place for diving, but I think Tenerife takes the crown as the greatest spot for it.

Tenerife is the largest Canary Island and one that boasts the imposing Mount Teide which is the highest peak in Spain, but it is also surrounded by astonishing ancient geological formations beneath the ocean.

Geological Diving

Yellow Mountain - This is one of my favourites because you can simply walk into it from the beach on the south coast. It is suitable for a mid-range dive and you will encounter all kinds of rare and enchanting sea creatures as you make your way through the strange lava rocks and caves.

La Catedral - This is a dive site that my previous clients have loved and it is somewhere that is suitable for all abilities. Here you will uncover a range of impressive arches, vaults and caves, included a breathtaking interior cave that features a gigantic 20-metre high vaulted roof. This dive site is also conveniently just a quick boat trip from Santa Cruz.

Wildlife Diving

For me, seeing the weird and wonderful creatures under the surface is what makes diving such a fascinating experience. The Canaries has a reputation for great visibility underwater, allowing you to see all kinds of amazing marine life up to around 30m away.

For the best experience, I recommend taking a day trip from Tenerife to El Hierro on the daily ferry from Los Cristianos. Here you can see an abundance of life just off the beach, including rays, tuna fish, dolphins, barracudas and maybe even a (friendly) whale shark if you are lucky! El Hierro is also home to a number of excellent marine reserves to explore.

Wreck Diving

Another unique diving experience lies is exploring wrecks at the bottom of the ocean - this provides you with views that only a small percentage of people get to see and is eerie yet amazing. Be sure to check out these wrecks on any of our holidays in Tenerife.

Tabaiba - This is a good one as it can be reached straight off the beach and is even used on dive courses, thanks to its depth of around 16m to 30m. The sunken vessel, En Peñon, is 35m long and was sunk in 2006 to create an artificial reef in a bid to attract sea life (which worked!).

El Meridian - More advanced divers will want to check out El Meridian, which is a German minesweeper vessel from World War II. Found 30m beneath the surface, a swim around the vessel will include encounters with groupers, dolphins, rays and an abundance of other wildlife.

As you can see, this is a brilliant spot for diving and you will uncover a whole new world beneath the ocean surrounding this popular island. We also have many great properties for those interested in our holidays in Tenerife, so contact the team today and we can start planning your underwater adventure.

John Dixon is an experienced world traveller and the Managing Director of Prestige Holidays. For over 30 years, he has been providing luxury holidays in Tenerife, Sicily, Bermuda, Croatia and many other destinations around the globe. John tries to visit each of the destinations regularly in order to ensure the quality of his properties, and stay up-to-date about the latest local news and events. He has a taste for the finer things in life and has an interest in arts, history and culture.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.