Caves of Light – Pillars of Hercules – Ibiza Dive Site
Halfway between the Port of Sant Miquel and Sant Antoni de Portmany, the Cap d’Albarca gives way to a large cove of the same name. Two remarkable dives take place under impressive cliffs, known as The Pillars of Hercules and the Cueva de la Luz, dives that, although they are important to be tackled independently, we are going to visit successively, enjoying some overwhelming landscapes of caves, arches and indescribable light effects.
Access: By boat
Quality: Exceptional
Difficulty: For all levels
Highlights: Cave
Average Depth: 12 m / 39.4 ft
Currents: None
Visibility: Good (10 – 30 m)
Cap D’Albarca is a small area of coast line between San Antonio and Port De San Miguel that has a large entrance to a bay. Surrounded by cliff tops there are two dives here that meet each other, these are the Pillars of Hercules and the Caves of Light.
Start your dive near the top of the underwater platform which is opposite the first entrance to the cave which is about 12 meters. Head South which will take you directly to the underwater shelf. Make your way round some larger rocks and locate a large porch entrance about 10 meters deep which is has plenty of natural light and this is the easy way into the cave. Once inside the cave you can observe the erosion of the columns that has divided the interior which makes up this wonderful visual hallway of pillars inside the cliff. The cave of pillars seems like it’s the work of humans, but far from it because it’s all happened with nature. The walls of the cave of brightly lit with orange and reddish colonies of polyps and abundant yellow incrusting anemones, sponges. Swim on a bearing of 210 degrees keeping the wall of the cave on your left side and after a few minutes make a left turn heading South and after a large rock you will come the a very impressive entrance to the Cave of Light.
A fabulous view from inside this cave looking out gives you a great setting of bright blue shinning through the cave. The walls of the cave provide a colorful shelter. Now you can rise to the surface of this cave and you will discover the small airy vault which sun light streams into the cave, so that the Cave of Light lives up to its name. You can swim out of the cave and return to where you started your dive.
