North + Medes Snorkeling

Seven jagged limestone islets rise from the sea off the coast of L'Estartit, forming the most protected marine reserve in the western Mediterranean. Designated a natural park in 1983, the Medes Islands have had over four decades without fishing pressure — and the results are extraordinary. The seabed is carpeted in posidonia oceanica meadows, a rare and ancient marine grass that supports an entire ecosystem of sea urchins, octopus, serranidae and the iconic dusky grouper, which grow so large and unafraid they will approach snorkelers with curiosity. Guided by a Park-accredited naturalist, guests slip into the water above submarine galleries and boulder fields draped in orange sponge and gorgonian fans. Red coral — one of the few places in the Mediterranean where it can still be found in abundance — clings to the shadowed walls. Underwater visibility regularly exceeds 20 metres in summer. From Aiguablava, the boat journey north along the coast to L'Estartit is itself a scenic pleasure, tracing pine-covered cliffs and hidden coves before the distinctive silhouette of the islands comes into view.

Sa Riera → Illa Roja → Medes