Under the surface: diving and snorkelling from La Herradura

Most people come to the Costa Tropical for the sun and then find that the best of it happens under the surface. Off La Herradura the seabed drops away quickly beneath the cliffs of the Maro-Cerro Gordo natural park, and a short swim from the sand can put you over rock, seagrass and big tube anemones. Here is what we tell buyers who ask what there is to do on the water.

A park that is protected for a reason

The Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo became a Paraje Natural in 1989, and it covers around 1,900 hectares, most of it sea. In 2015 a decree gave the park Natura 2000 status as a special area of conservation and approved the plan that manages it. The park runs along the coast between Nerja and Almuñécar, so La Herradura sits at one end of a long stretch of cliffs that are very different from the sandy bays further west.

The rules are there for a reason too. A sign in the park notes that uncontrolled diving damages the seabed, which the EU classes as a priority habitat, and diving is restricted in one zone near Playa Molino de Papel. Check where you are allowed to go before you kit up, and go with a centre that knows the park well.

What lives on the rock

The offshore part of the park includes posidonia oceanica, the seagrass that forms meadows along much of the Mediterranean, and those meadows sit alongside rocky reef and coral. It is a habitat that rewards a slow look, so a few minutes hovering over the leaves can be better than a long swim.

A 2011 dive log published by Oceana gives a good picture of the variety. At Punta de la Mona the writer went down to about 38 metres and found what they called coral trees and big tube anemones, standing out like white marks on the dark rock. A shallow wall near the surface was covered in orange coral and sea squirts. Off Playa Cantarrijan, a wall at about 9 metres had caves holding small lobsters and two large congers, with gorgonians, shrimps and nudibranchs outside them. The writer's conclusion was that you do not need great depth to find a rich fauna, and we would not argue.

When the water is warmest

The sea is coldest in early March, at roughly 15 to 16°C, and warmest in mid-August, at around 22 to 24°C. That tells you what to pack: a thin wetsuit or a rash vest will do for August, and a proper full suit is the sensible choice from December to March.

Getting out on the water

La Herradura has several dive centres. If you have never dived, ask for a beginner's dive. One local directory puts baptism dives at no deeper than 10 metres, which is where the rock and the fish are easiest to read. Shore dives and boat dives are both on offer.

If you would rather stay on top, guided sea-kayak and snorkel tours go into the park from La Herradura. Booking listings describe them as suitable for people who have never snorkelled and for families, and they are a good way to see the cliffs from the water without committing to a long dive.

Once you have had a morning in the water, the rest of the coast starts to make more sense. If you are buying, the practical question is how far you live from the sea and how easily you can get to it, so it is worth comparing the beaches along the coast before you choose a street.