Réserve Marine Banyuls-Cerbère

The Réserve Marine de Banyuls-Cerbère is France's oldest marine protected area, established in 1974 along the Côte Vermeille near the Spanish border. This underwater reserve protects a remarkable stretch of rocky coastline where the Pyrenees plunge into the Mediterranean, creating dramatic underwater landscapes of boulders, walls, and sandy coves. The decades of protection have resulted in thriving populations of groupers, barracuda, eagle rays, and hundreds of Mediterranean species. A marked underwater trail allows snorkelers and beginner divers to discover the reserve's biodiversity at shallow depths. The site is a reference point for marine conservation in the western Mediterranean and offers pristine diving conditions.