Cap de Begur

Jump in near the north wall and the drift begins. The first structure you meet is the deepest rocky ridge at 37m, where red gorgonians form a dense vertical garden. Ascending to the second ridge around 30m, calcareous rock takes over, pocked with large holes that shelter scorpionfish and moray eels. The shallowest ridge, carpeted in green algae, is where the dive eases off before you deploy your SMB and wait for the boat.

The north wall deserves the most time. Its crevices hold conger eels, spiny lobsters, large brotolas, and nudibranchs. Yellow gorgonians mix with the reds here, and octopuses patrol the openings. The three ridges run parallel, wrapping the cape from north to south, so the route is a natural multilevel profile rather than a planned ascent.

Cap de Begur is the point that pushes furthest into the Mediterranean from the Iberian peninsula. That geography shapes everything about the dive. Exposure to open water means variable currents and a marine life mix that sheltered Begur coves do not see. Where Aiguafreda offers a calm shore dive at 18m, Cap de Begur puts you in a drift along three stacked walls reaching 37m.

The gorgonian forest on the first wall is the defining image. Red and yellow gorgonians share the rock face in quantity. The crevice fauna on the north wall is equally distinctive. Large brotolas and lobsters occupy the same cracks as conger eels, a concentrated strip of life that rewards slow exploration.

Bring an SMB. The drift dive ends with a surface pickup, and the boatman needs your signal. Nitrox is recommended for the multilevel profile, and Begur Dive fills enriched air tanks at their Aiguablava base.

Conditions are weather-dependent. The exposed position means the site is sometimes closed when sheltered sites in Begur are still running. Check with Begur Dive on the morning of your trip. A 5mm wetsuit works in summer. Winter divers will want 7mm or a semi-dry suit.