Jávea · Xàbia · Costa Blanca

Diving in Jávea, from your very first breath underwater

You do not need a certification, prior experience or strong swimming to try scuba diving. Here is what each activity actually involves, where it happens in Jávea and what you need.

If you are staying on the Costa Blanca and thinking about getting in the water properly, Jávea is an unusually good base. The coastline changes character within a few kilometres, which in practice means that on almost any given day there is a sheltered spot worth diving, even when the other side of the town is blown out.

Where people actually dive here

  • Jávea harbour — the usual departure point for try dives. A few minutes by boat and calm water to get comfortable in.
  • Cabo de la Nao — walls and more depth, for course dives and certified divers.
  • Cala Granadella — the best known cove in the municipality, though our trips do not depart from there.
  • El Portitxol — a good starting point for snorkelling, with shallow ground and genuine submerged history: 53 Roman gold coins were recovered here in 2021.
  • Cabo de San Antonio Marine Reserve — a protected area, with its own access conditions handled by the dive centre.

Three ways in, depending on where you are starting from

If you have never breathed underwater, a try dive: one supervised dive, shallow, with an instructor beside you the whole time and no theory to study. If you already tried it and want to dive independently anywhere in the world, the Open Water course. And if you would rather stay on the surface, snorkelling over rocky ground here shows more than most people expect. If you are not sure, there is an option for exactly that on the form.

Who is with you underwater

Training is given by a professional PADI instructor, working with the dive centre that provides the venue, kit and logistics for each activity. The instructor is with you personally throughout, with experience diving in different conditions in Spain and abroad — the Mediterranean coast, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Africa and the Indian Ocean.

Training is personalised and in small groups, at each student's own pace. Courses, try dives and trips for larger groups can also be arranged on request.

Real guided dives, courses and try dives, on video.

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NaoDive publishes these guides and collects your enquiry; the diving itself is run by a collaborating dive centre in Jávea, with its certified instructors and its own insurance. Tell us what you are after and we put you in touch with them.

Send an enquiry

One practical note about timing

The water is warmest from June to October, and September usually combines good temperature with far fewer people. Outside those months diving carries on with a thicker suit and often better visibility. What really decides a given day is the wind rather than the month: a strong easterly leaves the water murky even in August, so keep some flexibility in your dates if you can.

The three ways to get in the water

Pick where you want to start. If you are torn between a try dive and the course, the short answer is: try dive if you have never dived.

What each activity costs

Per person, from the collaborating dive centre. The try dive comes in two versions, from the shore and from a boat, and both are explained on the same page.

What people ask before booking

Do I need to be a strong swimmer to try diving?+

Not for a try dive. You wear a buoyancy jacket that keeps you afloat without effort, and an instructor stays beside you throughout. What does matter is that water does not frighten you: if putting your face in feels like too much, say so beforehand and it starts slowly, in shallow water. The Open Water course is different — it does require a basic swim assessment.

Is everything in Spanish?+

Tell us you would prefer the briefing in English when you send your enquiry. It is a normal request on this coast and it is better settled before the day than at the harbour.

Can I dive in the Cabo de San Antonio Marine Reserve?+

It is a protected area and diving there is regulated: there are access conditions and a limited number of authorisations. It is not something you sort out yourself — the dive centre handles the paperwork and will tell you how far ahead it has to be requested. If that specific area matters to you, say so, because it drives the dates.

How much does it cost?+

Each activity has its own price, listed next to its name on this page. Those figures are all-in: kit, insurance and the instructor are already inside them, so there is nothing to add on the day. Snorkelling is the one thing missing from that list, because on your own it costs nothing beyond your own kit; a guided trip adds the boat and the guide, and that depends on the particular trip.

What happens after I send the form?+

Your enquiry reaches NaoDive with what you told us — activity, area and previous experience — and is passed to the collaborating dive centre. You normally hear back within 24-48 hours with availability and specific conditions. Sending it costs nothing and does not hold a place.

Tell us what you want to do

A few quick questions and your details. We pass the enquiry to the collaborating dive centre in Jávea and they reply to you directly, with date and availability. Asking costs nothing.

Tell us what you want to do
Have you dived before?

A one-off try dive years ago counts as "never dived": it does not certify you.

What would you prefer?

Also on this site

The guide to the best known cove in the municipality, and the enquiry form.