Canary Islands

[cbm32]

So, I have long been curious about the Canaries, but they seldom if ever get listed anywhere I have looked as having really good diving? Could you folks that have dove there expound a little on how the diving compares to there destinations?

 

[Chidiver1]

So, I have long been curious about the Canaries, but they seldom if ever get listed anywhere I have looked as having really good diving? Could you folks that have dove there expound a little on how the diving compares to there destinations?

It's not as nice as the Caribbean ime. I spent two weeks out there in 2016 diving out of las palmas. I was there in June. I might could find some pictures if I looked for awhile from my trip(I have a sealife cam I had with me). I went out with one op with a big cabin style boat for the majority of dives, another dive shop for the marine reserve (which was shore dives only).



The water was a good and cold compared to the carribean as well. Factor in the euro to USD as well, so it was not cheap.

I rented a car the whole time I was there and explored damn near the whole island. It was a good trip. Gran canaria is something else as far as sights and just a unique place. They have huge mountains, a desert area (complete with sand dunes), and jungle/wooded area all on a small island.

If you have any more questions send a message...

 

[Chidiver1]

So, I have long been curious about the Canaries, but they seldom if ever get listed anywhere I have looked as having really good diving? Could you folks that have dove there expound a little on how the diving compares to there destinations?

It was listed as a great dive destination in 2012 (I believe) in scuba diver magazine.

 

[cbm32]

It's not as nice as the Caribbean ime. I spent two weeks out there in 2016 diving out of las palmas. I was there in June. I might could find some pictures if I looked for awhile from my trip(I have a sealife cam I had with me). I went out with one op with a big cabin style boat for the majority of dives, another dive shop for the marine reserve (which was shore dives only).



The water was a good and cold compared to the carribean as well. Factor in the euro to USD as well, so it was not cheap.

I rented a car the whole time I was there and explored damn near the whole island. It was a good trip. Gran canaria is something else as far as sights and just a unique place. They have huge mountains, a desert area (complete with sand dunes), and jungle/wooded area all on a small island.

If you have any more questions send a message...

The islands certainly appear to be a great place to explore, but I am only looking for the best diving around. If it doesn't really compare to the Caribbean, I can not justify the cost difference to go to a place with lessor diving. Thanks.

 

[James Bamsey]

The islands certainly appear to be a great place to explore, but I am only looking for the best diving around. If it doesn't really compare to the Caribbean, I can not justify the cost difference to go to a place with lessor diving. Thanks.

I can understand why people would rate the Carabian as a better place to dive than the Canary Islands but for me, it really depends on the criteria you rate a dive. For example, we have had divers who have dived all over the world say that La Catedral in Gran Canaria is one of the best dives they have ever done.

Yes, it is not as tropical and colorful as the Caribbean but the volcanic formations on the island make it very special for people who like exploring this landscape. Also as mentioned its probably one of the cheapest places for a holiday if you are In Europe and want to stay in Europe for your diving holiday.

Here is a blog we wrote on the 4 top scuba diving spots in Gran Canaria.

Yes, I do work with this dive center but if you have any questions on where to dive in Gran Canaria or any other Canary island I can hopefully help you out.

 

[Marcos;]

You can not compare Carribean and Canary Islands, but there are some beautiful dive sites too.

 

[KenGordon]

So, I have long been curious about the Canaries, but they seldom if ever get listed anywhere I have looked as having really good diving? Could you folks that have dove there expound a little on how the diving compares to there destinations?

For life it is not as good as a place with coral reefs such as the Caribbean, Cozumel, Egypt or Indonesia. It does have a good variety of topology though, so can be quite spectacular in the big open views sense. If you want deep diving it is available too.

A huge advantage though is that is Europe and has European facilities, hospitals, police, car hire and so forth. You are not exploiting a third world economy. It is a major holiday destination for price sensitive Europeans, so it is actually cheaper than Egypt. It has the cheapest booze of any place I have ever been. The retired people who have moved there seem to take full advantage of that.

Because you are not taking advantage the service is not like Egypt. You will be carrying your own kit. You may end up with ex-pat Brits, German or Dutch running your trips. Service will match.

Like Malta it is a good halfway between proper local diving and complete tourist diving. I prefer Malta but can see the attraction.