Playa de Illetas

The school of gold-striped salema near the dock is usually the first thing you notice — these fish have settled into permanent residence around the hotel bay and meet every diver group that enters. Giant-step from the dock and the terrain begins to slope quickly: boulder fields at 10-12m give way to Posidonia seagrass beds, both populated by wrasse, damselfish, and octopus. The concrete block artificial reef placed by the dive centre adds structure further along at mid-depth; a small sports-boat wreck lies on the sandy bottom beyond it, colonised by invertebrates and small fish. A large anchor serves as a photographic landmark nearby. The 21m maximum keeps nitrogen loads comfortable, and the sheltered bay means weather cancellations are rare even when sites off the headland are too rough to visit.

Few spots in Palma Bay combine shore entry, multiple habitat types, and reliable fish encounters in the same dive. Posidonia meadows, rocky boulders, man-made concrete reef, and a small wreck give beginner groups something different at each stage, and give intermediate divers enough variety to sustain interest across repeat visits. Seahorses appear seasonally in the seagrass: slow-moving, well-camouflaged, and almost always an outsized reaction from anyone who finds one. The salema school near the dock is frequently seen — close encounters are common here and carry particular weight with first-time divers. In May and October, when plankton is low and visibility is clear, the boulder terrain and seagrass beds at this site are among the most photogenic in the Palma Bay zone.

Playa de Illetas is not within the RM Badia de Palma marine reserve — that reserve covers the eastern bay shore from s'Arenal to Cap de Regana. No reserve permit is required. The centres here operate from April to October, daily from 8:30am; year-round dives need advance arrangement. Best visibility runs May and October. For seahorse encounters, move slowly in the Posidonia sections and look near the base of the stalks — rapid movement and flash photography disturb them.