El Rincón

El Rincon is the first and easternmost dive spot of the Marine Reserve, located just 2 minutes of navigation to the left from the mouth of the port of La Restinga.

At this dive site, we find a “restinga”, a point or tongue of lava that extends into the sea, with the top emerging when the tide is lowest. Nature here forms vertical walls that reach a depth of 23 meters, making El Rincon a “wall dive”, from flat black sandy patches and big boulders to top rocky crests where the waves are constantly rolling and crashing. We cruise along the sand and lava canyons to where the wall bends to the east, the turning point, from here we follow the wall back searching top to bottom for a variety of life in every hole or cavity on its surface till we get back to the corner of the Restinga. The shallowest end of the wall means the end of the dive, on a peaceful plain of flat rock covered by plants and algae, a partly secluded pool just some 5 meters deep.

At this corner site, we can often see all kinds of marine fauna. In its shallower parts and close to the wall, we can find Trumpetfish, Parrotfish, White and Two-banded Seabream, Blacktail Comber, Filefish, Ornate Wrasse, Perch, Dusky Grouper, Spiny Pufferfish, Moray Eels, Lobsters, Shrimps, Crabs, Anemones, and colonies of hard coral attached to the wall. In its more distant areas, we will observe large Groupers, Rays, and even Angel Sharks from December to March.

It is a spot where there is usually no current. In case of a mild or moderate current, the natural wall of La Restinga point offers shelter from it. Furthermore, being perpendicular to the prevailing direction of the trade winds, the wall of El Rincon is also a natural dike that protects from the waves and allows us to witness the waves breaking on the top. The calm waters under the anchorage point are often beautifully topped by foamy, white waters, blocking the sun rays on a marvelous sway.

This dive is ideal for all levels of experience, from Open Water to the most experienced divers; El Rincon never disappoints.