Los Cancajos offers a compact but varied collection of reef, wall, cave and artificial reef dives along the coast of La Palma. Shore entry dominates, with sites accessible to beginners at the eponymous Los Cancajos site, while deeper walls at El Fraile and Las Puertas suit intermediate divers. Cephalopod encounters are a consistent highlight: Common Octopus and European Common Cuttlefish are observed across virtually every site. Canary Damsel, Trumpetfish, European Parrotfish and Bigeyes round out a diverse resident fish community.
Monthly water temperature across Los Cancajos's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperature stays warm throughout the year, rising from its lowest in late winter to its peak from late summer into autumn, making Los Cancajos a truly year-round destination. Visibility can vary considerably across sites, with some reefs offering excellent clarity and others more modest conditions. November stands out in the best-months data alongside March, suggesting these shoulder periods reward divers who can plan around them.
4 more sites to explore
Water temperature around Los Cancajos ranges from about 20°C in February to 24°C in August, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 24°C) a 3mm full suit is comfortable in Los Cancajos; in the coldest months (about 20°C) step up to a 5mm suit.
Fin maps 13 sites in Los Cancajos (12 scuba diving sites).
The Common Octopus and European Common Cuttlefish are observed across nearly all sites and are considered signature species of the area. You are also likely to encounter Trumpetfish, European Parrotfish, Turkish Wrasse, Cleaver Wrasse, Bigeyes and Canary Damsel on most dives. The Dusky Grouper is another signature species listed for the region, and invertebrate life is rich, with Arrow Crab, Hermit Crab, Flat Crab and Eleven-armed Sea Star all frequently recorded.
Several sites are rated for beginners, including the shore-entry Los Cancajos site itself, La Garra, La Bajtia, Charco Azul and La Salemera. These offer shallower reef structures with straightforward entries from the shore. Intermediate divers are also well catered for at sites like El Fraile, Gorgonias and Las Puertas, which feature deeper walls and a wider depth range.
The majority of sites in Los Cancajos are shore-entry dives, which means divers can enter the water directly from the coast without needing a boat. Las Puertas is the notable exception, requiring a boat to reach the reef. This prevalence of shore access makes logistics straightforward for independent divers.
Reefs are the backbone of diving here, but the area also offers wall dives, cave systems and an artificial reef at the Los Cancajos site itself. The cave at Mordor provides a different experience from the open reef dives, while the vertical topography at Gorgonias and El Fraile gives wall diving a strong presence. This variety means divers can move between quite different underwater environments within a small area.
