Montirivi

After a 20-minute boat ride from Tossa port, the longest navigation of any standard site here, divers drop into a precoralligenous landscape at 21 m. There is no shallow warmup. The reef spreads out rather than rising up, a broad rocky plain textured with formations, cavities, and old fishing nets snagged on the rock. At 24-26 m, the typical cruising depth, morays thread through crevices while conger eels sit deeper in the gaps. Dentex schools patrol the open water above. The terrain keeps going. One dive covers a fraction of what is there. Rock cavities shelter nudibranchs, lobsters, and scorpionfish. At the deeper edges, the formations drop to 36 m before meeting sand.

Local operators call this the prettiest dive in the Tossa area. Not for a single species or a dramatic drop-off, but for the underwater landscape itself. The precoralligenous plain is large enough for three or four separate dives, each covering different ground. That scale is rare on the Costa Brava. The old fishing nets tangled in the rock give the terrain a character that groomed shore dives lack. Fish life is consistently dense. The site sits on what divers describe as an important passage for pelagic species. Sunfish have been filmed here. Tuna pass through. Among experienced Costa Brava divers, Montirivi has a quiet repeat-visit reputation.

Air management matters here. At 24-26 m average depth, bottom time is limited, and the vast terrain tempts you to push it. The deepest areas at 34-36 m eat through a tank fast. Nitrox is worth carrying. Old fishing nets on the rock are a visual feature but also an entanglement hazard. Keep clear and carry a cutting tool. The site is large enough that group separation is a real concern. Dive with a guide on your first visit. Below the thermocline year-round at this depth, expect bottom temperatures of 16-20 C even in summer. Plan your exposure suit for the bottom, not the surface.