Cold-water Atlantic reefs, kelp forests, wreck history, and island day boats from Galicia's green coast
Updated Apr 20, 2026 • 25 sources
Top species linked to approved dive spots in Galicia: Rias Baixas, Cies Islands, and Atlantic North Coast.
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Quick shortlist before you jump into the full planning page.
Shallow wreck dive in the Ria de Pontevedra.
Managed wreck dive in the Ria de Arousa.
Managed wreck dive near Ons.
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Last updated: April 20, 2026 • 25 sources
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Overview
Galicia is Spain's Atlantic counterpoint to the Mediterranean: colder, greener, more tidal, and more rugged. The easiest dive planning sits in the Rias Baixas, where operators from Vigo, Cangas, Aldan, Sanxenxo, and Portonovo run day boats to Cies, Ons, mussel rafts, reefs, and sheltered coves. The Cies Islands sit inside the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia, so access, anchoring, camping, and lead-weighted diving are regulated. North toward A Coruna and Costa da Morte, the diving becomes more exposed, with wreck heritage, walls, rocky reefs, and stronger weather dependence. Water is cold by holiday standards, commonly around 13°C to 17°C, so exposure protection matters. Non-divers get first-rate island hikes, Albarino wine country, seafood towns, lighthouses, and Santiago de Compostela day trips.
Cies and Ons sit within a national park that protects land, cliffs, seabirds, beaches, and marine habitats including rocky seabeds, kelp communities, and maerl.
Expect Atlantic species rather than coral-reef color: kelp, seaweeds, octopus, conger eels, wrasse, sea bass, nudibranchs, sponges, crustaceans, and occasional seahorse habitat.
Operators in Vigo, Aldan, Cangas, Sanxenxo, Portonovo, and A Coruna let you adapt to wind, swell, visibility, and national park permits.
Costa da Morte and the Gulf of Artabro have one of the European Atlantic's densest shipwreck stories, with routes that appeal to trained wreck divers and history-minded topside travelers.
5 linked spots
Best time to go
June to September, with September the easiest balance for boats and crowds
Drier weather, clearer skies, stronger ferry schedules, and comparatively warm water around 15°C to 17°C.
Main caution: Cooler water around 13°C to 15°C, wetter Atlantic systems, windier departures, and fewer reliable island or dive days.
