Puig de la sardina

Most centres run the same profile here: descend the buoy line to 21 m at the saddle, drop to the base of the wall, then climb the mountain in a slow spiral. The discipline is to save the gorgonians for the ascent — air budget collapses fast at 35 to 40 m, and the colour panels are best worked unhurried. The richest cover is on the east and north walls, where red Paramuricea clavata and yellow Eunicella cavolini overlap in layered, dense panels. Hold one to two metres off the rock. The colonies are animals, and a fin strike erases decades of growth.

At the base, dense clouds of Anthias pack the water column around the wall foot — the deeper you go, the thicker they become. Off the peaks, look outward into the blue. Banks of amberjack and horse mackerel circle the structure in summer, and Mediterranean barracuda schools cruise above the saddle. Lobsters press into deeper crevices. The ascent traces the wall toward the shallowest peak, where the safety stop plays out over open Mediterranean blue with the rest of the mountain dropping away below.

Puig de la Sardina is the deep signature natural dive on the Montgrí coast, and the case for choosing it over neighbouring sites is the combination in one location: deep wall structure, gorgonian density that rivals the Medes islands across the water, and pelagic encounters in the blue at the peaks. The access difference from Medes is the practical hook — no permit, no per-diver tax, no quota. Three peaks at roughly 14 m, 22 m, and 27 m give the dive its geometry: a sheltered shallow ascent line, a buoy that lands on the workhorse depth band, and a wall that continues past 40 m for divers carrying gas for it.

Divers compare it favourably to the Medes gorgonian walls. The main difference is the open-water setting — Medes is sheltered and carries resident groupers; Puig is exposed, and the encounters are pelagic. They draw different crowds for different reasons.

The east-facing walls are the panel to work. On the descent, swim past the colour for the deeper turn — Paramuricea-Eunicella overlap is densest between roughly 24 m and 32 m, and a slow ascent gives the gas budget for repeat passes. A torch is essential at this depth. Reds and yellows fade to grey under ambient light at 30 m, and fill light brings the colour panels back. For backdrops with motion, frame the wall and watch the blue. Amberjack banks pass the structure in summer, and the Anthias clouds at the wall base give life to the deep frames. Wide-angle suits the layered wall panels; macro works the lobster crevices and moray faces.

Depth creep is the first thing to manage. The wall drops past 40 m with no shelf to catch a distracted descent, so set a maximum depth before you enter and stick to it. EAN32 is the centre-standard mix and stretches usable bottom time in the 25 to 35 m band. Carry a torch for the gorgonian panels and the lobster crevices. The site is an exposed offshore pinnacle — bring an SMB and brief the surface-recovery plan before entering, because the tramontana can push divers off the buoy line. Hold one to two metres off the wall throughout. The park rules apply across the coast: no anchoring on Posidonia, no feeding, no collecting.