Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Saint Yves is the main dive site for all diving clubs of Bordeaux. This is a great place for dive training and orientation. You can reach several wrecks, the easyest is named 'Cote bleu'. With a dive site map, and a good orientation sense, you can try to reach other wrecks... The Marie Noelle (N), the two east wrecks (NE), and several others. The deepest place is Saint Yves whole (the false one), at hight tide you will find around 30m deep. This is the deepest place of the whole Arachon bay. This site is located in Arcachon city, right side of the jetty named 'La Chapelle'. Acces the site from the small Saint François d'assise street, 50m east from the jetty. Saint Yves is also known as Le trou Saint Yves.

Belharra is a classic dive of the area. The shoal is very large, so several dives can be done here. Belharra is located 2nm West from Saint Jean de Luz. Belharra Perdun is also known as Belharra, Belara.

The U 263 submarine wreck is located 18nm from La Rochelle. It takes 1 or 2 hours to get there.

The Jean-Pierre wreck is an old trawler, sunk in 1969. It is linked by a chain to two other wrecks, the René-Hervé and the Perle. The wreck is only 3 min, NNW from the Arcachon hrabour.

This dive site is located into Port-Maguide camping. There is a little beach with a long deck from which you can dive.

This small reef is just located out of Hendaye bay, only 1.5nm from the end of harbour channel exit. Banc de Chicharvel is also known as Bajo Chicharvel.

This is a 1st world war wreck. The wreck does not have a large interest, but fauna is realy abundant (Congers eels, lobsters, etc.). You can reach this wreck from Anglet harbour. It is a very difficult wreck to find (flat wreck).

This is a two levels dock fish boat. This wreck is located at 3 miles away from Anglet harbour.

A classic dive of the area. This shoal (in fact several shoals) are located between Saint Jean de Luz and Biarritz.

This is a classic dive. The shoal is so large that you can make 10 different dives at Les esclaves. Les esclaves is a very large shoal located 2 miles away from Biarritz, 5 miles SW from Anglet. Les esclaves (Tombant sud) is also known as Basse des esclaves.

The Artha sea wall protects the Saint Jean de Luz bay. Dive site is on the bay side.

Saint Yves area. The Christian Yann wreck is also known as The Christ Yann wreck.

In front of the Jetée de la Chapelle, near Saint Yves.

Large fishermen boat sunk near 1980. The wheel is large; many nets. 150m in front of Saint Yves dive site entrance

Training dive site The Flamment wreck is located 55m east from the buoy. Cazaux lake.

In front of the Arcachon Casino.

Very few divers. Diving is generally near the 'barage', before the high tide. The 'barage' allow to hold some local marine species. Access from shore only. A parking is available nearby the entry point. Barrage de Vieux Boucau is also known as Lac marin de Vieux Boucau.

It is a good site for the 1st dive of the year. Cool dives with great local marine life (including sea horses). Proximity to channel sides let young divers feeling more comfortable (first dive, dive training). People nearby are often curious seeing divers. This enforce attraction for subadiving. This dive site is located near Capbreton harbour, in the channel connecting to the ocean. Canal d'Hossegor is also known as Canal de Capbreton.

Hortense was closed for 2 or 3 years, the site has been re-opened in 2005, and then re-closed! This was a classic dive site of Arcachon bay, where many diving clubs meet for the week-end. This dive spot is located at the Cap Ferret, near the restaurant named "Chez Hortense". Water access must be done by the boat slip. WARNING: It's forbidden to dive Hortense.

This wreck is a barge that was used to build a pipe from the coast (the warf). It sunk with the crane, so you can see caterpillars and a lot of pipes. There are a lot of conger eels and fish shoals. The wreck is located near the south danger buoy, after the Arcachon pass. It's only 1.6 nautical miles from the Wharf of La Salie. This is an interesting wreck. The worst is to get out of Arcachon bay. Pass can really be dangerous... Le Chariot is also known as Le câblier.

Lac d'Aressy is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in France, Midi-Pyrenees which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Coulé le 26 Février 1925. Sur 19 hommes d'équipage, il ne restera que 5 survivants. Le canot de sauvetage de La Rochelle comprenant 8 hommes , il ne restera que 3 rescapés. Lecture des cahiers de la mémoire N° 5 DE3 1981. Groupement d'Etudes Rhétaises. Le Bois Plage en Ré near La Rochelle

Cargo de 80 mètres Néerlandais. Transportait 2882 tonnes de sulfate de Baryum. Coulé le 03 Fevrier 1988. Equipage sauvé.

From La Rochelle or Ile de Ré

From the beach

There are a lot of fishes and tiny species to see here. The main problem is the current. If you miss the tide, you will probably enjoy the drift dive... except if you have to go back to the boat ! Le Mimbeau is a long natural sandy area at Cap Ferret. There are a lot of oyster's parks along the channel. Dive site is all along this part of the channel.

Dive site opened year round, even with snow/ice! Managed by the CODEP 87 (French diving Federation FFESSM). Montulat

Rocky canyon. Eastern side of Hendaye bay, just north of the Briquets rocks.

La Doux de Coly is also known as Résurgence du Coly, Source de Coly.

228m long Norwegian cargo that hit a mine during World War I (June 2nd, 1917). Out of Saint-Jean de Luz. 20 min by boat from Hendaye harbour. SS Saint Sunniva is also known as Sunniva.

Le Gers 4 Mats coulé le 16 et 17 Janvier 1905. Ex Cap - York. Construit à Glasgow en 1890 2030tonneaux

The site is located between the coast and the oyster's parks. There are several sea grass fields with some sea hosrses. Dive site is located front of the church of the Villa Algerienne at L'herbe village (Cap ferret). The Villa Algerienne house doesn't exists anymore, so don't look for it !

The Cruz is a spanish trawler (sunk May 7th, 1960), and there still are some nets, so take care ! If you are lucky, you will see some big moon fishes... By boat only. The wreck is located few miles from Anglet harbour. Le Cruz Secundo is also known as Le Morutier.

The wreck is located exactly North to Arcachon harbour, in the Teychan channel. It's only 3 min boat from the harbour. La Roche-Velaine is also known as La Rochevélaine.

Training dive site. Note that there is a twin-engine plane wreck 150m north from the buoy. This dive site is located into the Cazaux lake. The buoy n°19 can be used by dive clubs for dive training. Cazaux buoy n°19 is also known as The plane wreck.

This is a quiet place to dive. The two dams limit the curent and you can observe at high tide fishes entering into the bay. Maximum depth was previously 14m. Channel sweep operation has put a lot of sand in the area, so now, there are only few meters depth at low tide... We need to wait the bay to resore the area. The site is located 50 m before the last road turn of the Pilat (when you drive along the coast to the South from Le Moulleau). Dive site is just betwwen two dams.

This is a classic dive of Basque country. Caves are from the east side of Aroca's shoal. Many different caves with interconnections. The wall has no special interest. This site is located 2 miles away from St Jean de Luz (N). This shoal is smaller the the others sholas of the area (Briquets, Chichervel and Belhara).

Very common destination for local divers. The exact name of this wreck is "Cote bleu" and not "Cotre Bleu" as it is often named. This fisherman boat was sunk june 22nd, 1976. It a classic dive of Arcachon bay. Northeast for the jetee of La Chapelle. From the Sait Yves entrance (the pipe), cape 330°. Le Cote Bleu is also known as Joseph-Mathilde, Le Cotre Bleu (wrong spelling!).

This is a smaller shoal than Aroca. Ficoa is located 2.25 nm North from St Jean de Luz (just after Aroca Tiquia).

Out of Belhara and Aroca.

This wreck probably sunk at the end of 1940. It is a 50m long wreck broken into 3 parts. Mostly covered by sand now. South of the Dune du Pyla Le Bateau en Ciment is also known as Le Caméléon.

Most dived are 3 big blockhaus from World War 2 named the net, the conger and the passage (distance from one to another is between 30 to 50m). They slept from the beach into the chennal. Take care if you enter into some of them ! There are som big conger eels and some time european lobsters. Blockhaus are located south of the bay, after the Pyla dune and just befor the Petit Nice beach. There are a lot of underwater Blokhaus in the area, located into two diferent places: Gaillouneys and Sablonneys. Access is usually done by boat or by 4WD, some courageous divers walk by the shore. Les blockhaus is also known as Gaillouneys, Sablonneys.

L'Herbe is also known as L'Herbe.

Steamer wreck; sunk Apr 20, 1917 La Rochelle, Ile de Ré

Pétrolier de 1750 tonneaux. Déplacement 1100 tonnes. Coulé par 45 mètres de fond le 25 Mai 1947. From La Rochelle and L'île de Ré

Go to the website of this dive site in order to get the access map!!!