L Estartit, Catalonia, Spain

Medas Islands - Cova de la Vaca

Cova de la Vaca, the cow cave, is a system of three connected shallow chambers along the northern side of the Medes Islands. The site never exceeds 18 metres and most of the action happens between 6 and 12 metres, making it the ideal first dive in the reserve and a popular snorkeling spot in summer. The largest chamber has a tall ceiling with a single skylight that lights up the cardinalfish school massed inside, while the side chambers are coated in red and yellow encrusting sponges and small gorgonia. Outside, the reserve's classic species are easy to find: dusky groupers, saddled seabream schools, large painted comber, octopus, moray eels and white seabream in dense aggregations. Because the dive is shallow and protected even on windy days, it is one of the most consistent training and orientation dives at l Estartit. The Costa Brava and the Medes Islands reserve form one of the longest-protected marine areas of the Spanish Mediterranean, with full reserve status since 1990 and strict diver limits enforced by the Generalitat de Catalunya. Water temperature ranges from 13 C in February to 24 C in August, and a thermocline often divides upper warm and lower cool layers from June onward. Local dive centres operate from l Estartit and Roses with daily departures and quotas on the most popular sites of the reserve.