Diving in Menorca

It depends where you dive. Both marine reserves — North Menorca and the Isla del Aire reserve in the SE — require a personal authorization from the Balearic Islands government at EUR 5.24 per day. Sites on the west coast and NE (Pont d'en Gil, Malakoff wreck, Swiss Cheese) are outside both reserves and need no permit. Your dive centre will normally handle the authorization on your behalf for reserve dives.

No. Cave diving is explicitly prohibited throughout the Reserva Marina del Norte de Menorca. This covers all sites accessed from Fornells and the Tramuntana coast. The prohibition applies to full cave and overhead cavern penetration inside the reserve boundary.

For cave diving: Pont d'en Gil on the west coast — a stalactite cavern with a surfaceable air dome, widely described as the finest cave in the Balearic Islands. For wreck diving: the Malakoff at 38-40m off the SW coast. For fish-rich reef: the SE coast sites within the Isla del Aire Marine Reserve. For a genuinely restricted experience: Sa Nitja in the North reserve, requiring prior authorization and a daily cap of two dives total.

The hull rests on sand at 38-40m. The deck and upper structure sit at approximately 30-35m, giving the dive a gentle gradient from first contact to the deepest section. Advanced Open Water certification plus a deep diver specialty is the standard requirement; some operators also set a minimum logged-dive count.

May to October is the main season. June, September, and early October are optimal: visibility typically runs 15-20m, all operators are active, and sites are quieter than peak summer. July and August bring the warmest water but also plankton blooms and more boat traffic.

They suit different diver profiles. Menorca is quieter, more personal, and built around cave and cavern diving — Pont d'en Gil, Moon Pool, Cap d'en Font — plus two protected marine reserves and one deep wreck. Mallorca offers more sites, more operator choice, and dramatic walls inside established reserves. Divers wanting guided cave experiences and reserve reef diving with fewer people around will usually prefer Menorca.

Yes, at the right sites. Es Caragol, the cavern sections of Swiss Cheese, and the main chimney at Punta Grossa are all accessible from Open Water level. The advanced cave dives — Pont d'en Gil's inner passages, Moon Pool, and Cap d'en Font — require Advanced Open Water at minimum and, for inner sections, cave certification.

For the guided cavern zones with ambient light — including Pont d'en Gil's entrance chamber and air dome — Open Water certification is sufficient. Cave certification is required for penetration beyond the natural light zone at Pont d'en Gil (over 220m of inner passages) and for the Moon Pool corridor at Pozo de la Luna. Cap d'en Font's inner sections similarly exceed recreational limits without a guide and cave training.

Dusky groupers and barracuda are the signature species in both marine reserves, with populations reflecting decades of protection. Moray eels and conger eels are common at cave-adjacent sites and the Malakoff wreck. European spiny lobster are documented in the North reserve. Stingrays migrate through in spring (April-July). The North reserve holds 628 documented benthic species, including red coral and the critically endangered noble pen shell.

Yes — the island is diveable year-round. Surface temperatures drop to 13-15°C in winter, and fewer operators run through the off-season; confirm availability before planning a winter trip. A 7mm semidry or drysuit is essential. The caves remain accessible when weather permits.