Medes Islands

Verified2026-09-24 checkedReefWallCavern

Seven small islands protected since 1983, and the clearest demonstration in the Mediterranean of what protection does to fish.

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Depth: 5–40 m16–131 ft
Difficulty: Beginner
Entry: Boat
Typical current: Light
Coordinates: 42°2.934′N 3°13.386′E
Activities: Scuba · Snorkelling · Freediving

The Medes are seven limestone islets a kilometre off L’Estartit, made a marine reserve in 1983. The diving is ordinary Mediterranean geology — walls, tunnels, overhangs from 5 m down past 40 — and what makes it worth the trip is the biomass. Dusky grouper that were nearly fished out of this coast are here in numbers and are entirely unbothered by divers; barracuda school over the shallows in summer; the tunnels are full of red gorgonian and cardinalfish. It is busy in August and calm in June and September, and the contrast with the unprotected coast a kilometre away is the argument for reserves in one dive.

Ten minutes by boat from L’Estartit on the Costa Brava, two hours north of Barcelona.

Best season

ExcellentJun–Sep
GoodMay
GoodOct

Before you get in

A cavern — inside the daylight zone, but still with a ceiling, and with stretches where you cannot simply go up.
Past 30 m, where no-stop time and gas both go quickly and nitrogen narcosis starts to show.
A wall. There is no bottom in sight to judge against, so depth is kept by the gauge alone — and it is easy to end up deeper than intended.

Taken from this site’s recorded depth, type and current, and nothing else. An empty list is not a safe site — the sea on the day, the local geography and the boat traffic are not in it. The briefing on the spot comes first.

Conditions

Water temperature: 21.9°C71°F
Wave height: 0.7 m2 ft
Air temperature: 24°C75°F
Wind speed: 17.5 km/h10.9 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 15:45 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/7

Low11:50-0.52 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Dusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusCommon
European barracudaSphyraena viridensisCommon
Mediterranean morayMuraena helenaCommon
NudibranchNudibranchiaCommon
Common cuttlefishSepia officinalisCommon
European lobsterHomarus gammarusCommon
Moon jellyfishAurelia auritaMay–AugSeasonal
Bearded firewormHermodice carunculataCommon
John DoryZeus faberRare
Common octopusOctopus vulgarisCommon
Marbled electric rayTorpedo marmorataRare
Loggerhead turtleCaretta carettaRare

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

No recent reports from divers. If you dived here in the last two weeks, you can say how it was.

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