Diving in La Restinga isn't a single company: in this village at the southern tip of El Hierro, several independent dive centres work alongside the same marine reserve. Our verdict: one of the best places to dive in the Canary Islands, at a reasonable price; the drawback is getting there.
The dive centres in La Restinga
Two have an active website with published prices:
- Buceo La Restinga (buceolarestinga.com). Try dive for €85 by boat and €65 from the shore: if you don't mind starting from the coast, you save €20.
- Buceo El Hierro (buceoelhierro.com). Try dive from €75, about two and a half hours in all: briefing, surface practice and a guided dive. According to the centre, it includes equipment, instructor and the compulsory diving insurance.
You'll see other names at the harbour and in search results: Centro de Buceo El Hierro, DS Divers El Hierro, Centro de Buceo El Bajón, La Restinga Diving Center Club. Ask each one for a price. There are few verified reviews to choose by: the clearest is for the GetYourGuide try dive (4.9 from 20).
Try diving in La Restinga: price and what's included
| Option | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|
| Shore try dive, Buceo La Restinga | €65 | centre's website |
| Boat try dive, Buceo La Restinga | €85 | centre's website |
| Try dive, Buceo El Hierro | from €75 | centre's website |
| Try dive on GetYourGuide | from €65 | GetYourGuide |
| Try dive on Civitatis | from €63 | Civitatis |
The platform price is the same as the shore try dive on the centre's own website. What the platform doesn't tell you at first glance is which centre will take you and whether you start from the shore or a boat: look for it in the listing before you pay.
For any try dive the law requires accident and third-party liability insurance, a signed medical questionnaire (with a doctor's certificate if you answer "yes" to anything) and one instructor per student: a group try dive with a single instructor isn't legal.
See the La Restinga try divefrom €65Affiliate link: it costs you nothing extra.
What you'll see and what the marine reserve allows
The Punta de La Restinga – Mar de las Calmas Marine Reserve, created in 1996, is a fisheries reserve: only small-scale traditional fishing is allowed and diving inside it needs authorisation, so in practice you go with a local dive centre. There's a proposal to declare the Mar de las Calmas a marine national park, but for now it's just that, a proposal.
The best-known sites are El Bajón (an underwater pinnacle, the star dive), the Baja Bocarones wall, the Punta Restinga lava tongue and night dives in the harbour.
You'll see turtles, tuna, rays, groupers, barracuda and, occasionally, a whale shark, with no guarantees. Feeding the animals or disturbing turtles, whales and dolphins is banned; if a whale or dolphin comes close, move away.
Diving season and water temperature
You can dive all year, with the water between 18 and 25 °C: an average of about 19.6 °C in March, the coldest month, and 24 °C in September and October, the best months for warm water (see September).
La Restinga hosts the Open Fotosub, an underwater photography competition: ask the dive centres for the dates.
How to get there and how to book direct
La Restinga is 41 km from the airport, about 52 minutes; a taxi costs €48–52. The ferry arrives at Puerto de La Estaca, at the other end of the island: hire a car or stay in the village.
Booking with the centre
- Leave a few days' margin in case the sea forces the dive to be moved, and ask whether it's then rescheduled or refunded.
- Write to the centre through its website and ask for the price from the shore and by boat.
- Ask what's included (equipment, insurance) and how many students each instructor takes: it should be one.
- Give the age of each participant: from 8, with depth limits (6 m up to age 9, 12 m up to 11, 21 m up to 15).
The main hyperbaric chambers are in Tenerife and Lanzarote: ask the centre about its protocol in case of an accident.
Our rating
Score
- Diving quality
- 5/5Visibility of up to 50 m, a marine reserve and sites like El Bajón.
- Price
- 4/5€65–85 for a try dive, with the shore option €20 cheaper.
- Transparency
- 3.5/5Two centres publish clear prices; with the rest, you have to ask.
- Online booking
- 3/5Little on the booking platforms; almost everything via the centre's website or email.
- Access
- 2/5The southern tip of the westernmost island: a car, or a €48–52 taxi from the airport.
The good
- Mild water all year and exceptional visibility.
- Published, reasonable prices; shore try dive for €65.
The not so good
- Getting there takes a flight or ferry plus a car.
- Few verified reviews to compare centres.
- Each centre sets its own cancellation terms: get them in writing.
Who it's for, and alternatives
For divers, or anyone who wants to start in a first-class spot, who will be staying on El Hierro; there isn't time on a day trip from Tenerife. If you just want a try dive near your hotel, every island has dive centres: compare them in diving in the Canary Islands. For the rest of the island, see things to do in El Hierro; to get there, island hopping.
See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026
How much is a try dive in La Restinga?
Buceo La Restinga charges €65 from the shore and €85 by boat; Buceo El Hierro, from €75. On GetYourGuide it's from €65.
Do you need a qualification to dive in El Hierro?
Not for a try dive: it's an introductory dive, with one instructor per student. For regular dives, ask the centre which certification it requires.
What is the minimum age for a try dive?
From 8, going no deeper than 6 m up to age 9 and 12 m up to age 11.
