Diving in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

The limestone at Port Salví has been worn into a run of tunnels, and they are why most divers book here. They sit at 12-27 m, their ceilings are covered in delicate filter-feeders, and the dive rewards slow, buoyancy-controlled passes. Entry is by a short zodiac run from the port or by a steep shore ramp at Eden Rock, and the full route is second level.

The bay holds the gentler half of the diving. El Jardín y la Red leads along a sand corridor to a rock shaped like a camel's head, then drops to a wall. La Llosa de Sant Feliu is a rock opposite the breakwater that ends in shallows where cleaner shrimp work on their clients. Les Planetes and the islet of S'Adolitx, south of Port Salví, round out the easy dives, and operators list seahorses at Les Planetes.

Deeper diving needs more training. Montilivi, an L-shaped wall riddled with holes at 20-40 m off Cala Giverola, takes a boat run and a second-level certificate, and El Amarrador, at 25-42 m, is rated advanced. Octopus, morays and congers are the regulars across the reefs, and eagle rays pass the Port Salví corridor and Montilivi.

The south-facing bay is sheltered from Tramontana and most Garbí winds, which is why centres along the coast send divers here when wind closes other Costa Brava entries. Cala Ametller, Punta de Garbí and Cala Vigatà form a municipal Bio-knowledge Marine Area run by the Town Council through Custòdia Marina agreements, and a 2008 proposal for a formal reserve at Cala del Vigatà and Punta de Garbí ended as a bathing zone only.

Piscis Diving, SubLimits and Varadero Dive are among the operators running guided dives from the town. Piscis works from Club Nàutic and reaches the tunnels by boat; Varadero sits on the beach near Hotel Eden Roc with direct shore access; SubLimits also runs dives from Tossa de Mar, Platja d'Aro and Palamós. Each centre sets its own dive prices.

The tunnels and the deep walls call for second level, while La Llosa, Les Planetes and S'Adolitx suit every level.

June to October is the comfortable window, with 22-25 C at the surface in summer; below the thermocline the water stays cooler, so plan exposure for the deepest point. Winter runs 13-15 C and is often the clearest water of the year. Opening off-season varies by shop: SubLimits advertises opening all year, and the safe course is to confirm a booking before you travel.

Girona-Costa Brava airport is the closest gateway, with Barcelona's airport also reachable by road.