Introduction

San Salvador island was the first island to be discovered by Christopher Columbus, in 1492. Flat, with lots of lakes, the main attraction of the island is its diving sites. With great corals and long walls, it is a paradise for divers!

Travel facts

Diving type

Destination

easily accessible

bargain destination

Diving level & type

for beginners

for advanced divers

shore diving

liveaboard

Diving Characteristics

pelagics

lots of fish

lots of corals

interesting underwater scenery

Other activities

attractive natural spots

gastronomy

night life

beach

snorkeling

Infrastructures

• hotel and diving center
  

  Club Med
  Club Med (hotel and diving center)
  internet : www.clubmed.com
  rating : 4 / 4 stars

  comments :

  Considered as the most beautiful Club Med for diving, there are also lots of other activities (including sailing, water skiing, tennis, etc.). The organization of the dives is very good... but the monitors are strict: maximum depth of 40 meters with computers and 30 meters with tables! 3 big boats (with a maximum of 35 divers on board) are used. About 40 different dive sites are available.

  
  

Diving Sites

• 

  Devil's Claw

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 40 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  A slight slope to 20 m, and then a vertical wall. A lot of fish (with a big grouper) and a shark.
  
  
• 

  Dr Jones

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 40 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  Wall falling at more than 60 m and large perpendicular canyons. Lots of fish (hammer sharks are sometimes present) and a turtle.
  
  
• 

  Runway 10

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 15-25 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  Usually done in the afternoon, this dive is made at 12-15 m, near a wall falling at more than 40 m. Lots of caves and fish: groupers, barracudas, tunas and even sharks. Also a great site for night dives, with crabs and lobsters.
  
  
• 

  Cable Crossing

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 20 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  Coral on a slight slope till 15 m, and then a vertical wall. Some school of fish, and 2 or 3 groupers. We recommend diving on the left part of the wall (when looking from the boat toward the wall). Sharks and turtles are sometimes seen on this dive site.
  
  
• 

  Cathedral

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 15-25 m

  visibility : 15 m
  description :
  
  Some pinnacles full of corals on a sandy bottom at 45 degrees. Beautiful relief, but less fish: we saw 3 groupers, one barracuda and one ray.
  
  
• 

  Holl in the Wall

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 35 m
  description :
  
  A vertical wall and, in front of it, an underwater island reaching a depth of about 20 meters. An interesting tunnel is linking that wall, at a depth of 35 meters, to the plateau at 20 meters.
  
  
• 

  La Crevasse

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 30 m

  visibility : 10 m
  description :
  
  A vertical wall with many breaks and a big canyon (15 m deep) ending in the blue and lots of caves. Difficult not to get lost during this dive. Furthermore, because of the sandy bottom and the current, the visibility is quite reduced. Few fish, and the coral is dead at 15 m.
  
  
• 

  Sharks Alley

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 20 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  Wall between 20 et 40 m, quite a lot of fish... but no sharks despite the name of the site. Not very spectacular.
  
  
• 

  Vickie's Reef

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 20 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  An uninteresting wall, with a ray under the boat.
  
  
• 

  Doolittles

  rating : 1.0

  depth : 40 m

  visibility : 20 m
  description :
  
  Vertical wall with a parallel canyon at 40 m. Some small caves at 48 m. Interesting relief, but practically no fish.
  
  
• Amphitheater

  depth : ?

  visibility : ?
  description :
  
  Groupers and crayfish.
  
  
• Double caves

  depth : ?

  visibility : ?
  description :
  
  Breaks and caves. Hammer sharks at 40 m.