Diving in Fuerteventura | Where and How to Dive

Fuerteventura might just be one of my favourite holiday destinations. Sun, sea, fabulous food and culture… It just offers everything you could want from a holiday. It also just so happens to be the only place I have braved going scuba-diving. I really enjoyed myself but, in all honesty, I am not sure I’m cut out for it. However, my husband has been diving in Fuerteventura for fifteen years and always makes time for it when we go. He even instructed it there for a short time and knows the area well.

Here is our comprehensive guide to diving in these waters. In our opinion, it is the perfect place to learn the sport and gives you an opportunity to see some pretty cool wildlife!

Why go Diving in Fuerteventura?

Diving in Fuerteventura is exciting, interesting and, above all, easy. There really is no better aquarium to learn to dive in than the sea around this island. It is calm, warm (mostly) and crystal clear. There are also no majorly dangerous animals aside from the odd wandering hammerhead shark.

I personally think that it is the ultimate place to either learn the art of scuba, or to hone your craft as an experienced diver. Although there are no coral reefs, it is an interesting and different tropical water habitat. There are cool animals to see, ranging from sharks, rays, barracuda and a range of tropical and colourful fish.

If you are travelling to the island, and either enjoy diving or would love to try it, you really need to have a go here.

Who to Dive With

Most of the touristy hotels are in Corralejo, a town on the northernmost point of the island. Lots of dive schools operate in this area and you can easily find them. Most hotels will also have a rep from one of them who will come out and coach you.

Before I get started on learning, I want to talk about Dive Schools. Like everything you get differing qualities and it’s really important to get it right. A good dive school will be able to give you a list of courses and services that they offer. They should also be able to speak easily about the health and safety policies that they have. The best thing you can do is talk to your rep and see how knowledgeable and helpful they are.

Jack’s Dive School, Dive Inn, was certified by NAUI and is pretty good. They have operated in Corralejo for over 20 years. Most of the dive schools are operated by PADI though, which is the biggest diving organisation there is. As divers, it doesn’t really matter which diving organisation you go with (you can always switch!). As long as your hotel rep is reliable and knowledgeable, you can go with them and get qualified.

Where to Dive

Fuerteventura has loads of different diving opportunities. In the north, the obvious place is Lobos. This island is a small nature reserve and is prime diving territory. The island is home to various shark species, including hammerheads and angels, with an abundance of fish species. Barracuda, tuna and parrot fish can all be seen. On rare occasions, fishermen have even seen manta rays!

Jack’s personal favourite place to dive is Playa del Jablito. This natural harbour is perfect for all levels of diving. There are beginner dives that go out into the shallow waters, and more advanced dives that go down to depths of almost 20m. There are lots of interesting species here, including spider crabs and great barracuda. Jack has also seen various shark and ray species here too!

As you move down south, you get arguably the best diving on the island. Jandia and Morro Jable are famed for their adventurous dives. Groupers, moray / black eels and more can be found here. Again, some shark species have been reported here, but you will be most likely to see angel sharks. Whilst these don’t seem exciting, they are typically rare outside of the Canaries.

How Much to Spend

Dives in Fuerteventura vary depending on your level of experience as well as where you want to dive. Usually dives for beginners are about €70.00. These are more expensive because of the extra insurance and time that needs to be put into supporting a new diver.

If you are qualified, then the prices drop a fair amount. Jack typically pays about €40 or so whilst we are out there, but this can depend on the dive shop. If they use a boat and do some more adventurous dives / days out, this can vary.

To get the most out of the experience, I would suggest getting your Open Water qualification. This is quite expensive (around €200) but means that you can dive anywhere in the world.

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