Photo: Daniel Márquez Santiago via Google
The best beaches for snorkelling on the Costa Blanca
The clear water is in the free rocky coves of the north, not the sandy resort beaches.
The verdict
- Best forValue travellers who only need a mask, since the snorkelling here is free in the public coves and the real cost is parking, which is tight and best beaten by arriving early
- Top pickCala Granadella near Javea, a tiny turquoise cove with clear water and rock edges that is regularly voted one of the best beaches in Spain
- One thing to knowThe clear water and the rocky coves are on the north coast around Javea and Moraira, so the long sandy resort beaches of the south are poor for snorkelling and best skipped for it
Published 16 April 2026. Last reviewed 16 April 2026
The honest starting point for snorkelling on the Costa Blanca is that the famous sandy resort beaches are the wrong place for it. The long Blue Flag sweeps at Benidorm and Alicante are built for easy swimming and sunbeds, and the open sand means there is little to see underwater. The clear water, the rock and the fish are all on the rocky north coast, the Marina Alta around Javea, Benitatxell and Moraira, where the coast breaks into a string of small calas.
That is where a value snorkeller should aim, and the good news is that the snorkelling itself is free, since these are public coves and all you need is a mask. The cost is parking, which is genuinely tight at the famous coves and paid through the summer, so the cheap move is to arrive early or late when the car parks empty, or to base yourself at an easier beach like Albir or Arenal and make short trips to the calas. An inexpensive mask and an early start beat a paid boat trip for most swimmers.
We have ranked the beaches below for clear water and the cost of the day, weighing visibility, rock edges and how easily you can swim them for free. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, we make no promises about swimming safety, and anything we cannot verify is marked to be confirmed.
Six of the best beaches for snorkelling on the Costa Blanca
The clear rocky coves of the north, and how to swim them without paying for it.
Cala Granadella
The value snorkeller's first stop, a small pebble cove of astonishingly clear turquoise water framed by pine covered cliffs, regularly voted one of the best beaches in Spain. The rocky edges and the clear water make for excellent snorkelling straight off the beach, and it is free to swim. The catch is the cost of getting there, parking is very tight and paid in summer, so the cheap move is to arrive early or late when the car park frees up.
Cala del Moraig
A dramatic pebble cove below sheer cliffs with clear deep water and the Cova dels Arcs sea cave to snorkel into at one end, the best free underwater feature on the coast. Wilder and more striking than the resort beaches, with limited facilities and tight parking, so it rewards an early start. On the list for clear water and a genuine sea cave to explore with nothing more than a mask and a careful swim.
Cala del Portet
A small, sheltered, sandy cove near Moraira with calm shallow water that is excellent for children and easy for beginners, with rocky sides that hold fish to spot close to shore. Pretty and protected rather than spectacular, it is the gentle value choice for a family snorkel where nervous swimmers and small ones can ease in. Free to swim, with a handful of relaxed restaurants behind for an unhurried day.
Cala Finestrat
A small sheltered cove tucked beside the Benidorm resorts, handier than the far northern calas if you are based there, with rocky sides and clearer water than the big city beaches. It is no Granadella, but for a free snorkel close to the resort without a long drive it does the job, and there are cheap eats a step behind. On the list as the convenient budget option for snorkellers staying around Benidorm.
Playa del Albir
A long white pebble beach with notably clear water and rocky ends that reward an easy snorkel, all reached by a flat free promenade. Calmer and more genteel than its neighbours, it is a comfortable value base where you can swim out from the public sand and find fish along the rocks at either end. The pebbles mean water shoes help, but it costs nothing to swim and the parking is easier than the tight northern coves.
Playa del Arenal
Javea's sandy Blue Flag bay, the rare soft sand beach on the rocky north coast and a comfortable base for a snorkelling trip rather than a snorkel spot in itself. The open sand is plain underwater, but the rocky edges of the bay and the brilliant calas a few minutes away reward a short walk or drive. On the list as the easy, well served base with full facilities from which to reach the clear northern coves.
Head north to the coves, skip the sandy resort beaches
The honest read on snorkelling here is that the Costa Blanca is really two coasts. The south, the long sandy Blue Flag beaches at Benidorm, Alicante and below, is built for easy swimming and sunbeds, and the open sand means there is little to see underwater, so it is poor for snorkelling and best skipped for it. The clear water, the rock and the fish are all on the rocky north coast, the Marina Alta around Javea, Benitatxell and Moraira, where the coast breaks into a string of small calas.
That is where your day should go, and the good news for a budget is that the snorkelling itself is free, since these are public coves and all you need is a mask. The cost is parking, which is genuinely tight at the famous coves like Granadella and Moraig and paid through the summer, so the value move is to arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the car parks empty, or to base yourself at an easier beach like Albir or Arenal and make short trips to the calas. A cheap mask from a supermarket and an early start beat any paid boat trip for most swimmers.
A few honest cautions. The clear coves are rocky and pebbly, so water shoes save your feet and a little care keeps you off the rocks in any swell. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, the water is clearest on calm days and stirs up after wind, and we make no promises about swimming safety, so judge the sea on the day, keep to the sheltered coves when it is rough, and treat anything we cannot confirm as to be confirmed.
Beach clubs and the free cove beside them
The Costa Blanca beach scene runs from the big Benidorm sunbed operations to smarter beach restaurants around Javea and Moraira, but for snorkelling the clear coves of the north are mostly simple public beaches with a chiringuito rather than a club, which suits a value day perfectly. The free sand and the free water are the point, with any spend better saved for lunch at a cove restaurant than a daybed you will barely use between swims. Operators, opening hours and any minimum spend change through the season, so we keep the live list on the directory. Tell us your dates and the kind of day you want and we pass the enquiry on.
Book a beach club on the Costa Blanca
Before you go
Where is the best snorkelling on the Costa Blanca?
On the rocky north coast around Javea, Benitatxell and Moraira, where the coast breaks into clear water calas. Cala Granadella near Javea is the standout, a turquoise cove with rock edges and excellent visibility, and Cala del Moraig has a sea cave to swim into. The sandy resort beaches of the south are poor for snorkelling, so head north for the clear water.
Is snorkelling on the Costa Blanca free?
Yes, the coves are public beaches and the snorkelling itself costs nothing, so all you need is your own mask. The real expense is parking, which is tight and paid in summer at the famous coves, so the value move is to arrive early or late when the car parks free up, or to base yourself at an easier beach and make short trips to the calas.
Which Costa Blanca beach is best for snorkelling with children?
Cala del Portet near Moraira is the gentle choice, a small sheltered cove with calm shallow water that suits children and nervous swimmers, with rocky sides that hold fish close to shore. Cala Finestrat near Benidorm is another easy, sheltered option if you are based in the south, handy and free with cheap eats behind it.
Do I need to bring my own snorkelling gear?
Bringing your own mask is the cheapest and easiest approach, and an inexpensive set from a local supermarket or sports shop is fine for the calas. The clear coves do not need a paid boat trip for good snorkelling, so for most swimmers a cheap mask, water shoes for the pebbles and an early start give you everything you need for nothing more than the cost of the gear.
When is the water clearest for snorkelling on the Costa Blanca?
The water is generally clearest on calm settled days through the warmer months from late spring to early autumn, and it stirs up and clouds after a blow. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, so check the sea on the day, keep to the sheltered coves when there is swell, and snorkel in the calmer morning hours when the wind is usually lightest.