Marine reserve requires a permit. Isleta del Moro: caves, groupers, barracudas. Las Negras: untouched volcanic seabed. Arrecife de las Sirenas. Anchoring over Posidonia prohibited. May-October best season, visibility 10-25 m, above 20°C.
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park offers some of the best shore diving on the Mediterranean coast. Sites such as Agua Amarga, Carboneras, or the coves between Aguamarga and San José allow direct entry without a boat. A recurring topic is the need for authorization for certain accesses, especially in Marine Corps zones, and the confusion created by signage.
The marine reserve requires a permit for scuba diving, obtainable from the Government Sub-Delegation in Almería or through federated dive centers. The most accessible sites include La Isleta del Moro (caves, groupers, barracudas), Las Negras (almost pristine volcanic seabeds), and the Arrecife de las Sirenas next to the lighthouse. Regulations prohibit anchoring on Posidonia, removing organisms, and fishing within the reserve. The best period for shore diving is from May to October, when the Levante wind dies down and the sea offers visibility of 10 to 25 meters with temperatures above 20 °C.