Naturalviews - Diving

Playa Jibacoa area, mostly chosen by Cubans, is located on the north coast of Mayabeque. It has resorts and several camping sites of good quality. The area is notable for the beautiful typical landscape with a deep blue sea, surrounded by cliffs, on the side facing the land, and rocky hills where are located the hotels. The excellent beaches are famous for their clear and shallow water and is a local and tourist favourite for snorkeling from the beach. It is worth noting the scuba diving area opposite the shore, where you'll find coral reefs and a good amount of fish and shellfish. There is a wide range of activities to practice in the area, from small hiking to horseback riding or it may be good to rent paddle boats https://www.tripcuba.org/playa-jibacoa-beach-mayabeque

Fitzroy Island is one of the most unspoilt islands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. Fitzroy Island National Park is a mountainous rainforest oasis surrounded by fringing reef formations. Enjoy the resort facilities and rainforest walks to white coral beaches and spectacular lookouts. Fitzroy Island also offers a wide range of water sport activities as well as snorkelling, introductory and certified diving and a learn-to-dive school. The island is 339 hectares in size, 324 of which is protected as Fitzroy Island National Park. The island is on the continental shelf and is within sight of the mainland; in fact, it’s a peak in a mountain chain which lies south of Cairns. The reef surrounding Fitzroy Island is a “Fringing Reef”. Fitzroy Island is located on the Inner Barrier of the Central Region of the Great Barrier Reef. It is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/islands/fitzroy-island/

La Caleta Underwater National Park, one of the first in the region, is a popular dive site located close to Santo Domingo. It’s known for its multiple shipwrecks, but also for its abundant marine life ready to be explored by all levels of divers, from beginner to advanced. Depths go from six meters (20 feet) to 180 meters (591 feet), over an area stretching 10 km² (four square miles) from Las Golondrinas Cave to Punta Caucedo. La Caleta’s irregular topography includes three defined terraces, underwater caves, and well-known shipwrecks. A variety of corals and schools of colorful critters thrive here, using the reefs as shelter and food source, including grouper, balloon fish, rays, lionfish, octopuses, and turtles. Among the more popular shipwrecks is the Hickory, a 1984 ship located at about 18 meters (60 feet) deep, submerged in 1984 by a group of submarine researchers to create an artificial reef for the proliferation of marine life. Additional wrecks include El Limón and Capitán Alsina, located about 30 meters (100 feet) deep, and the Don Quico at about 58 meters (190 feet) of depth. Nearby, an impressive system of karst rocks creates a meandering network of underwater caverns and tunnels over 100 meters (328 feet) long—an ideal place for technical diving. https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/poi/excursions/boca-chica/parque-nacional-submarino-la-caleta/

Say hello to Fraser Island - also known as the largest sand island in the world. You can gaze up at towering ancient trees in astonishing rainforests growing out of sand on this World Heritage-listed wonder, be amazed by the incredible sapphire blues and emeraldene greens in the stunning freshwater lakes and float down Eli Creek https://www.visitfrasercoast.com/Destinations/Fraser-Island

The Phi Phi islands are some of the loveliest in Southeast Asia. Just a 45-minute speedboat trip or a 90-minute ferryboat ride from either Phuket or Krabi, these picture postcard islands offer the ultimate tropical getaway. Featuring classic tropical beaches, stunning rock formations and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colourful marine life, it is paradise perfected. Phi Phi is a group of six islands. The two main islands are Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. The larger and inhabited Phi Phi Don attracts hundreds of visitors to stay on its lovely shores while the smaller uninhabited Phi Phi Leh hosts stunningly beautiful bays and beaches, including the world-famous Maya Bay, which was the set where The Beach (with Leonardo Dicaprio) was filmed. http://www.phiphi.phuket.com/

The Guardian Blue Hole is said to have the second deepest cave in The Islands of The Bahamas, with a maximum explored depth of 436 feet (133 meters). The surface pond is fresh water, with a layer of hydrogen sulfide sometimes present at the halocline. The cave was named for a solitary barracuda that at one time inhabited the main entrance pond. Some of the walls of the cave are highly decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. Several deep pits within the cave drop from 45 m depths to more than 130 m. https://www.bahamas.com/vendor/guardian-blue-hole

On the west side of the Old Town core lies the Monte beach. For those who find accommodation in the Old Town, this beach will only be a few minutes walk away. This is also the ideal place for visitors who start touring the Old Town – they can find relief from the heat in the Rovinj sea. Although the beach is about 150 meters long, the locals divided it into several parts. The Big and Little Guguliera are small beaches, suitable for bathing small children, while Baluota (or Balota) and Lanterna are beaches favoured by the older population (you get into the sea by climbing down or diving from the rocks). Many cafes and restaurants are a few dozen meters away from the beach, while the XL café and Monte restaurant are situated at the foot of the St. Euphemia church (about 50 meters from the beaches). The beaches are rocky, with no natural shade, so we recommend bringing along some refreshing beverages and headcovers. When the gale gets strong, the waves will make it even more difficult to get into the sea or out of it, so it is better to go for the beaches in one of the numerous Rovinj coves when it is windy. https://www.inforovinj.com/eng/rovinj/plaze/monte.asp

Red Island (Crveni otok), one of the most renowned tourist locations in Rovinj. Actually, it consists of two artificially connected islands: St. Andrew’s Island (Otok Sv. Andrije) and Maškin Island (Otok Maškin). Red Island is a fifteen-minute sail away from the town center. Taxi boats arrive from and depart for Red Island every hour, from a small pier on the main town square, and from Delfin pier. The sail to the island is very pleasant, passing by Katarina Island, Lona and Zlatni rt bays that will surely enchant you with their beauty. Dense Mediterranean underbrush and old coniferous forest are predominant on the island, and there are cultivated flower parks with paths near the hotels and annexes. In 2002, Red Island was hit by a heavy storm, almost entirely destroying the 100-year-old pine forest, which has been providing shade and shelter from summer heats for numerous tourists. The biggest damage was caused on Maškin Island. A lot has been done towards cleaning and renovating the island since last year so that you could enjoy its beauty and intimacy again. You can find a really large number of beaches on the island. They are mainly stony beaches with typical coves covered with pebbles. The most frequented beaches are the ones situated on the south side of St. Andrews Island, near the hotel and the annexe. Numerous services are offered nearby, namely: a restaurant, a pool, miniature golf courses, a diver centre and others. A small part of the shore near the little port has been covered with gravel, making it suitable for children and seniors. https://www.inforovinj.com/eng/rovinj/plaze/crveni-otok.asp

Beach Balzamake just after Kurent cape, Small and Big Scaraba bay divided by cape Scaraba are reachable by foot with a thirty minutes walk from Rovinj town center or by bicycle. The nearest car park is just after Monvi Entertainment Center and is free of charge but it can also be very crowded in July and August. From the car park, Scaraba beach is a few minutes walk like any other beach within the Golden Cape Park Forest. The coast is rocky with a few inlets covered with pebbles. The rocky beach Balzamake is suitable for sunbathing because of big flat stones. Scaraba cape offers more privacy and less people on a rocky coast not recommended for elderly people or families with small children. This kind of beaches are frequently visited by naturists that are not a rarity in Rovinj. The pebble beach in Big Scaraba bay with its pier is a favorite place for swimmers and divers. http://www.rovinj.co/en/meet-rovinj/beaches/scaraba/

Balneario El Escambron is the most picturesque beach in San Juan protected by a coral reef with soft golden sand and perfectly landscaped with tall palm trees providing cozy shaded spots. Be sure to block off much more than beach time, you’ll be walking into a recreational park with enough activities for a fun-filled day the whole family will enjoy. Escambron Beach is located in Puerta de Tierra within walking distance from Old San Juan and Condado. Escambron is the best public beach in the metro area offering much more than a great beach experience. Here you can snorkel, scuba dive, take a romantic walk along the scenic oceanside trail, visit the historic Bateria El Escambron, find quiet spots just for two, enjoy the green area at Parque Tercer Milenio (Third Millennium Park), eat great food and more. The city is vibrant, full of energy but once you get here, you’ll experience the relaxing and invigorating allure of this tropical city. https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/balneario-el-escambron-beach/

Damlataş beach in the eastern part of the Cleopatra beach situated just under the peninsula with the It is suitable for snorkelling and there are daily diving boats coming to dive in the area as well. The Damlataş beach is quite wide with golden fine sand. There are several beach bars, restaurants, volleyball courts, open-air fitness centre, huge children playground, tennis and basketball courts and wonderful green parks with fountains along the beach. There is the Damlataş Cave just a few steps from the beach. The Damlataş beach is currently the only fully wheelchair friendly beach in Alanya offering easy access, wheelchair sunbeds and showers for disabled people. It is famous for its clear water and possibility to swim along the rocky shore of the peninsula with several caves. http://www.visitalanya.com/damlatas-beach-in-alanya/

Hardy Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef near the Whitsundays, is home to thousands of spectacular reef fish including coral trout, travelly, snapper and smaller tropical species. Hardy Reef is also the location for the Reefworld pontoon, a permanent structure which has been in place for over twenty years. Visitors can experience excellent snorkelling and diving on Hardy Reef, and will see a myriad of interesting marine animals such as turtles, reef sharks, giant Maori Wrasse and even the two metre long Giant Queensland Gropers, which hang around the pontoon. Visitors can also view the stunning Hardy Reef from the air by seaplane or helicopter, including world-famous Heart Reef. The aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef and natural heart-shaped formation is a must-see experience for the Whitsundays. https://www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/hardy-reef

Wombarra Beach is a narrow 250 m beach fronting the slopes that lead up to the small town of the same name. The sand and cobble beach is located immediately south of the southern Scarborough rocks, with rocks and boulders backing the beach. It is fronted by rock platforms, leaving only a narrow break to provide direct access to the sea. A road provides access to the southern beach with a small car park and picnic area, however, this is more for the southern rock pool, than for the beach. https://beachsafe.org.au/beach/nsw/wollongong/wombarra/wombarra

Garrofa beach is the last on the westward coast of the city of Almeria. It is a cove of just over 100 metres long pebbled with normally clear water. It is located between cliffs and next to the camping of the same name, through which one must pass to access the beach. This beach has a diving club and own camping facilities that are prepared for both tents and caravans. https://www.turismodealmeria.org/en/playas/garrofa/

Lamorna is the place where the 2013 movie Summer in February was filmed. The cove has a small pebble beach beside the harbour and quay with lots of large boulders, especially at low tide. The cove is on the South West Coast Path between Porthcurno and Mousehole. A nice quiet spot for swimming and a good spot for scuba diving, though no lifeguard cover provided. https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/west-cornwall/lands-end/lamorna-cove-beach