Far de S'Arnella

The dive begins on land. Kit up at the clifftop and pick your way down a steep, narrow path to one of two coves that flank the lighthouse, one to the west of the light and one to the east; the climb back up in wet gear is harder than most of what happens underwater. Both coves sit on the same broken rock that runs along this stretch of the headland, and a European spiny lobster has been photographed working the crevices here.

Far de S'Arnella is reachable on foot, unlike most named points along this stretch of Cap de Creus. A steep path drops from the clifftop to two small coves either side of the lighthouse, and that shore option is rare on this part of the coast, where guided outings from Port de la Selva typically run by boat. The point also marks the northern end of the area's named dive-site range, sitting at the foot of a lighthouse built in 1913 by a Girona society founded to rescue shipwreck survivors. The coves themselves look small and rocky, and easy enough to reach on foot that a diver working from a car can add them to the day without booking a boat slot.

Carrying full kit down and back up the cliff path is real work: pace yourself, especially on the way out with a used tank. Bring at least a 7mm wetsuit, or a drysuit outside summer, since any part of the dive that reaches deeper water drops fast below the area's thermocline. The mapped point sits in the water about 290 metres south of the lighthouse's own surveyed position, off the headland, not at the light itself. Two coves flank the lighthouse, one on each side; pick whichever is more sheltered from the swell on the day.