PLongée a Banyuls sur MerPLongée a Banyuls sur Mer
©PLongée a Banyuls sur Mer|Laurent Lacombe
Baptism of divingOn the Côte Vermeille

Baptism of diving

It is here, on the Côte Vermeille, that you can find the best diving spots in the southern Mediterranean (not us, but the divers themselves!) and more particularly in Banyuls-sur-Mer where you can find the Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Nature Reserve, which is home to more than 1,200 species of animals and about 500 plant species. Open your eyes and dive into the scenery!

To admire the sea bed, there are several possibilities: scuba diving thanks to our many diving clubs based in the port (the Visionaute?), boat rental with or without a license and snorkeling (diving with mask, fins and snorkel).

Baptism of diving in the middle of the Marine Reserve

Banyuls-sur-Mer is the ideal spot to try diving in the Côte Vermeille!

Get equipped in the early morning

Let’s meet early at the port of Banyuls, with our bathing suits and towels. As soon as we arrive, everything is very supervised, and while other people are already getting equipped, the instructors already know our first name and provide us with the equipment: wetsuits, fins, masks. The time to equip ourselves, and it is already time to get on the boat…

The briefing on the deck!

Everyone is on the boat and we leave the port: it is too late to turn back! At this moment, we ask ourselves a thousand questions: will I sink with the bottle on my back? What to do if I have a problem? How does all this unknown equipment work? While the boat is still on its way, the instructor explains us the basic rules about the material, but also about the way to communicate with him when we will be under water (and yes, we will not be able to communicate normally). It is a reassuring stage, we see more clearly, we know a little better what awaits us…

Why is it magic?

Discover a preserved environment
Se surpasser
Accessible to young and old alike

Magical dive in the heart of the Marine Reserve

We arrive on site, in the middle of the Marine Reserve of Banyuls-Cerbère. The landscape is already incredible since we left the port: the sea, the rocky cliffs…

I volunteered to go first, so I wouldn’t have to ask myself too many questions! The instructor jumps in the water first with my tank in addition to his. I jump into the water in my turn, from now on, we are one with the instructor, he doesn’t let me out of his sight. In fact, you just have to let yourself be guided! Underwater, I discover a whole universe, while we move away from the water surface little by little! It takes a few minutes to get acclimatized: breathing with a regulator in the mouth is not natural, but very quickly, everything stabilizes, and I start to enjoy it. This moment, punctuated by underwater sounds and my breathing, is indescribable.

We evolve in the natural environment of the local fauna, always with respect, it is an enchanted moment, full of wonder, and I take the time to savor each moment. Fish of all shapes, all sizes, sometimes in schools, sometimes alone, starfish, sea urchins… Staying on the surface, we don’t realize the many varieties of species that are there, just below. The scuba dive lasts about 30 minutes, which is enough because these 30 minutes are intense.
The return to the boat feels like a return to reality after a passage in another wonderful world, I am all giddy!!!

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The time that others make their baptism in their turn, we have the possibility of making a little snorkeling around the boat. Direction the rocks, where on the surface, it is also possible to see fishes and other starfish, it is a delight…

We tell you everything!

How to live this experience?

Who can do their first dive?

Everyone! Baptisms are accessible to children as long as they can swim and are comfortable in the water. Be careful if you tend to have earaches underwater!

How much does a diving baptism in Banyuls cost?

Depending on the time and the provider, the first dives cost between 65 and 110€ (adults) and 45 to 85€ (children).

How long does a first dive last?

The baptism itself lasts about 30min, but counting the equipment, the boat ride, the passage of everyone (the instructor accompanies one person at a time), the post-diving relaxation and the return, consider that you should reserve half a day in your program.

What equipment should I bring for my baptism?

Bring sunscreen for water reverberation, a swimsuit, and sunglasses, a hat and water for the return to the boat!

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