Es Palomar

Five minutes by boat from Tossa port, the anchor drops over a cluster of rocky outcrops barely breaking 18 metres. The route follows the escollos in a circuit, weaving between islets fringed with posidonia. Among the seagrass, nacra shells stand upright like dark fins, some nearly a metre tall. Stingrays flatten into the sand between meadow patches. Midway through the circuit, a cavern opens in the rock face. The entrance is wide and the passage short. Light pours down through a vertical exit above, throwing shifting patterns across the walls. Photographers wait here.

Es Palomar is the quietest dive on the Tossa de Mar roster. Where siblings like Perduts demand compass skills at 30 metres and Tres Barres spans three distinct rocky ridges, Es Palomar keeps things simple. One circuit, shallow water, calm conditions. That simplicity has a purpose. This is where instructors bring students for their final Open Water dive, and where returning divers shake off the rust. The posidonia ecosystem here is the real draw. Nacra colonies are declining across the Mediterranean, and this site has a healthy population in accessible water.

Boat only. The coastal cliffs between Tossa and Sant Feliu de Guixols rule out any shore approach. Three centres run trips here: TossaSub, Andreas Diving, and Canyelles Diving. The cavern needs no special certification. Its vertical exit means natural light reaches the entire passage. Bring a camera if you have one. The backlighting through the exit is the best photography opportunity on this dive.