La Bajita

La Bajita — the little shallow one — is exactly what its name suggests: a beginner-friendly site on the southern coast of La Palma that keeps to gentle depths while delivering the volcanic basalt character and rich Atlantic marine life that make the island worth visiting specifically for diving. The site lies near the southern tip of La Palma, in the vicinity of Fuencaliente, where the island's most recent volcanic activity has left its mark on both landscape and seascape. The underwater terrain here reflects the island's eruptive history: relatively recent lava flows have created angular, rough-textured basalt formations in contrast to the more weathered, rounded rock of older sites. This fresh geology is rapidly colonised by encrusting organisms, and the transitional ecology of new reef formation adds scientific interest to the visual appeal. The dive unfolds at depths between four and fifteen metres, with the shallower sections offering the most prolific fish life. Dense schools of salema orbit the basalt formations in tight circles, their silver bodies flashing as they turn. Ornate wrasse and Canary wrasse move through the rocks in almost constant motion, their iridescent colouration providing one of the site's distinctive pleasures. Canary damselfish defend territories on the reef with considerable energy, their presence a reliable indicator of a healthy, productive substrate. Octopus — as throughout the Canary Islands — are rewarding finds here. The volcanic rock provides ideal denning habitat, and patient observers willing to scan systematically through the basalt crevices are regularly rewarded with sightings of animals that can reach impressive size. The sandy corridors between basalt formations host peacock wrasse, sand gobies, and the occasional flatfish lying flush against the substrate. For beginners looking to explore the Canary Islands' Atlantic character without the demands of exposed or deep sites, La Bajita provides a genuine, enjoyable Canarian diving experience in accessible conditions at the southernmost point of this volcanic island.