Reef
down to 15 m
La Moulade
A mussel-covered rock below Collioure's fortress: plateau, drop-off and coralligenous reef at 15 m, with a chance of a seahorse.
- Open Water
- Barracuda
Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure)
Diving in France
7 documented dive sites, 2 of them for Open Water divers. Known for barracuda, sardine and crustaceans.
- Good months
- Apr–Nov
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure) in October
Good season- Sea
- 20 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 22 °C
- 16 °C at night
- Rain
- 40 mm
- average for the year
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Main season Apr–Nov, with dates varying by club; a few clubs dive all year, so Dec–Mar is possible but limited.
Dive sites in Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure)
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m2 sitesFor Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m2 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesTechnical and specialty dives
1 siteMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BarracudaSource: tourisme-pyrenees-mediterranee.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Barracuda: Jun–Aug
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Sardine
- Crustaceans
- Starfish and urchins
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus
- Anthias
- Conger eel
- Moray eels
- Anemones
- Corals
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Mola mola (sunfish)
- Seahorses
- Groupers
Where is Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure)?
Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure): frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure)?
- The good months to dive Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure) are Apr–Nov. Main season Apr–Nov, with dates varying by club; a few clubs dive all year, so Dec–Mar is possible but limited.
- Is Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure) good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 2 of the 7 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including La Moulade and Cap Gros. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What marine life can you see in Côte Vermeille (Banyuls & Collioure)?
- Divers regularly see barracuda (Jun–Aug), sardine, crustaceans, starfish and urchins, nudibranchs and octopus.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash