Barco Chino

Barco Chino — the Chinese Boat — is a beginner dive in El Hierro's celebrated La Restinga dive zone, its evocative name suggesting either a rock formation with the silhouette of a vessel, or perhaps a historical association with the trading boats that once passed through these Canarian waters. Whatever its origin, the name hints at the site's character: a distinctive underwater feature within the protected Mar de las Calmas, the Sea of Calm that extends around La Restinga's southern tip. El Hierro's La Restinga area is one of the great beginner diving destinations in the Canary Islands. The Mar de las Calmas earns its name: the protected bay behind the headland is frequently flat, with minimal current and exceptional clarity. Water temperatures here tend to run warmer than other Canary Islands sites, influenced by the island's volcanic heat, and the combination of warm, clear, calm water makes La Restinga's sites ideal for divers developing their skills. The dive begins in the shallows of this protected bay, where the basalt formations provide immediate interest. El Hierro's volcanic rock is colonised by the encrusting organisms that take advantage of the island's protected status — sponges in vibrant reds and oranges, anemone carpets on shadowed surfaces, and the feather stars that extend from crevices in feeding position. The clarity of the water means these features are visible from a distance that requires no approach anxiety, a genuine boon for beginners still calibrating their spatial awareness underwater. The site's characteristic feature — whether a rock formation resembling a boat's hull, or an underwater structure with a distinct silhouette — provides a navigational focus and an interesting topographic feature around which the dive is organised. Angel sharks are a possibility on any sandy section of El Hierro's seafloor, and the large grouper and parrotfish characteristic of a healthy, protected reef are present throughout. A relaxed, beautiful dive in exceptional conditions.