Photo: Batyr Ospanov via Google
The best beaches for snorkelling on the Costa Brava
Rocky coves for the clear water and the fish, not the sandy resort beaches.
The verdict
- Best forSnorkellers who want the rocky coves of Begur and Palafrugell where the water stays clear and the fish gather, not the sandy resort bays where it does not
- Top pickTamariu, the clearest of the Palafrugell coves, with rock at both edges and a seafront for lunch after
- One thing to knowThe finest snorkelling here is the marine reserve of the Medes Islands off L'Estartit, joined by boat rather than swum from the shore
Published 12 May 2026. Last reviewed 12 May 2026
The honest place to start with snorkelling on the Costa Brava is the rock. The water is only as clear as the bottom beneath it, and the difference between a good cove and a poor one here is almost entirely whether you are floating over clean rock and seagrass or over churned sand. The famous wide resort beaches, the long sands of Lloret de Mar, Fenals and Platja de Pals, look beautiful but their sandy bottoms cloud as soon as the day warms up and the swimmers stir it, so they are for sunbathing, not for the mask.
Where the coast comes alive underwater is in the small rocky coves of the Begur and Palafrugell stretch, the cales that hide between pine topped headlands. Tamariu is the pick, a tiny horseshoe with rock at both edges and some of the clearest water on the coast, while Aiguablava is so clear it gave itself the name, aigua blava, blue water. Sa Tuna, Cala Estreta and the cold deep coves around Cap de Creus all hold fish among the rock and the posidonia seagrass, the meadows that keep this water clean.
We have ranked the coves below for the snorkelling and, in our usual way, for the lunch and the village that come with them, because a Costa Brava snorkel day ends at a seafront table with grilled fish and a cold Emporda white. We are honest too about the one that beats them all, the protected Medes Islands off L'Estartit, the richest underwater life on this coast, which you reach by boat rather than from a beach. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, and anything we cannot verify is marked to be confirmed.
Six of the best beaches for snorkelling on the Costa Brava
The clearest rocky coves for fish and water, and the seafront lunch after.
Tamariu
The clearest of the Palafrugell coves and the best all round snorkel on the coast, a small sheltered horseshoe with rock and posidonia at both edges where bream and wrasse gather close in. Calm, low key and backed by a handful of seafront restaurants. On the list at the top for the clean water, the easy entry and a lunch of grilled fish on the front a few steps from where you dry off.
Aiguablava
A small Begur cove of bright sand and water so clear it gave itself the name, blue water, with rocky sides and pine topped cliffs that hold fish and good visibility on a calm day. Upmarket and pretty. On the list for the clarity and the setting, the snorkelling best along the rocky edges rather than the sandy middle, with a calm, smart spot for lunch above the cove.
Sa Tuna
A tiny pebble cove below the old fishing houses of Begur, deep clear water and rock on both flanks that make it a quiet, reliable snorkel away from the crowds. A single seafront restaurant and not much else. On the list for the unhurried, local feel and the fish among the rocks, with an unrushed plate of seafood at the cove the natural way to finish the morning.
Cala Estreta
A wild, undeveloped cove near Palamos reached on foot over the headland, no facilities and no crowds, just clean rock, clear water and the best visibility for anyone willing to walk in and carry their own lunch. On the list for the most unspoilt snorkelling on this part of the coast, a place to bring a picnic and the mask, then drive into Palamos for the famous prawns afterward.
Cadaques
The whitewashed artists' town at the wild northern cape, its rocky coves and the headland of Cap de Creus holding cold, deep, exceptionally clear water with rich life among the rock for those who do not mind a cooler swim. On the list for the most dramatic setting and the clearest water of all, paired with the best kitchens on the coast in town for an Emporda dinner after the snorkel.
Cala Sant Francesc
A sheltered, pine framed cove just outside Blanes below the Marimurtra botanical garden, calmer and clearer than the big town beaches nearby with rock at the edges that gathers fish, an easy and family friendly snorkel. On the list as the best entry near the southern resorts, gentle water and a green setting, with the gardens above and the seafood of Blanes harbour a short way along for lunch.
Be honest, skip the sandy resort beaches and find the rock
The honest read is that most of the Costa Brava's best known beaches are poor for snorkelling, and it is worth saying so plainly. The long sands that fill the brochures, Lloret de Mar, Fenals, Platja de Pals and the broad town beaches, have sandy bottoms that cloud the moment the water warms and the crowds wade in, and there is little for fish to live on, so you float over a beige haze and see nothing. They are fine beaches for a sunbathe and a swim, but if snorkelling is the plan, drive past them.
The water comes alive over rock and seagrass, and that means the small coves of the Begur and Palafrugell coast and the wild capes to the north. Tamariu, Aiguablava, Sa Tuna and Cala Estreta all give you clean rock, posidonia meadows and the bream, wrasse, the odd octopus and grouper that come with them, while the coves around Cadaques and Cap de Creus hold the clearest, coldest, richest water of all. Pick the cove over the resort sand every time and the coast rewards you.
And the real prize is not a beach at all. The Medes Islands, a cluster of protected islets off L'Estartit, form one of the best marine reserves in the western Mediterranean, with grouper, barracuda and a wall of life you simply do not get from the shore. You reach them on a guided snorkel or glass bottom boat trip rather than swimming out, and it is worth building a day around. Visibility everywhere is best in summer and early autumn after calm spells, so conditions are typical rather than guaranteed and worth checking on the day.
Beach clubs and a seafront table after the snorkel
The Costa Brava keeps its beach scene refined and low key, more seafront restaurant and chiringuito than glossy day club, and the rocky snorkel coves of Begur and Palafrugell are exactly that, a single good kitchen above the water rather than a row of daybeds. The smartest spots cluster around Begur, Tamariu and Calella de Palafrugell, where lunch is grilled fish, suquet and a cold Emporda white. Operators, opening status and any minimum spend shift 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 to confirm what is open.
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Before you go
Where is the best snorkelling on the Costa Brava?
The rocky coves of Begur and Palafrugell, above all Tamariu and Aiguablava, hold the clearest water and the most fish, with Sa Tuna and the wild Cala Estreta close behind. The clearest, richest water of all is around Cadaques and Cap de Creus, and the finest snorkelling on the coast is the protected Medes Islands off L'Estartit by boat.
Are the Costa Brava sandy beaches good for snorkelling?
Not really. The big sandy resort beaches like Lloret de Mar, Fenals and Platja de Pals have a sandy bottom that clouds as the water warms and the crowds wade in, with little for fish to live on. They are good for sunbathing and a swim, but for snorkelling you want the rocky coves instead.
Can you snorkel the Medes Islands?
Yes, by boat from L'Estartit. The Medes are a protected marine reserve with the richest fish life on this coast, including grouper and barracuda, best joined as a guided snorkel or glass bottom boat trip rather than swum from the shore. It is the standout underwater experience on the Costa Brava.
What will you see snorkelling on the Costa Brava?
Over the rocks and the posidonia seagrass expect bream, wrasse, the occasional octopus and the odd grouper, with more life in the protected and rockier spots. The water is clearest in summer and early autumn after calm spells. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed.
Where do you eat after snorkelling on the Costa Brava?
The seafronts of Tamariu and Calella de Palafrugell for grilled fish and suquet fish stew, Cadaques for the best kitchens on the coast, and Palamos for its famous prawns. Pair the lunch with anchovies from nearby L'Escala and a cold Emporda white.