Spearfishing in Spain
Spain's coast is three seas in one: the cold, upwelling Atlantic of Galicia and the Cantabrian coast, the warm, clear, all-but-tideless Mediterranean, and the subtropical Atlantic of the Canaries, with blue, clear water almost year-round. Each façade dives differently — but the calm-sea window rules them all.
In Spain spearfishing is breath-hold only (no scuba) and the licence is issued by each autonomous community, not the State, though it is valid in the exterior waters of the whole coast. This guide explains the national rules (RD 347/2011) and the regional ones, how sizes change by caladero, what the tides do on each coast and where it is banned — and links to the per-city sea forecast, refreshed every day.
Open the flagship — Vigo →How to read the conditions
The deciding factors are the same across the country: swell (height and period — a low, long-period swell stirs the bottom more than a high, short one), wind and wind-sea (they ruffle the surface and drop visibility), water turbidity (it shuts a hunt down more than anything) and temperature. spearo.app folds them into a single go / marginal / no-go verdict per city, with the week ahead — but the golden rule doesn't change: a calm entry can break on the exit, always decide with a margin.
What does change from coast to coast is the tide. On the Cantabrian coast and the Northwest (Galicia) the tides are big, several metres: they move a lot of water, open and close rock access and set the best entry moment. In the Mediterranean (Catalonia, Levante, Murcia, the Balearics) the tide is minimal, only a few centimetres: it stops being a factor, and the solunar calendar and the light windows (dawn and dusk) take over. The Alborán Sea (Mediterranean Andalusia) has a small tide, a touch larger than the rest of the Mediterranean. In the Canaries the tide is moderate, with the great advantage of high visibility almost year-round. And in Galicia the summer upwelling brings up cold, rich water: it fills the sea with life, but can drop the temperature and visibility all at once.
The season, too, depends on the façade. In the north Atlantic (Galicia, the Cantabrian coast) the best time is summer, when the northwest storms ease and the water clears; in winter the sea shuts almost everything down. The Mediterranean (Catalonia, Levante, Murcia, the Balearics) gives the longest, steadiest season, with warm, clear water from late spring to autumn. The south (Andalusia) and the Canaries can be dived almost all year, always working the coast's wind-sheltered side.
Safety — especially solo
Always dive with a signalling buoy in view (it is mandatory and you must stay within 25 m of it), never hyperventilate before a dive (risk of shallow-water blackout) and stay within depths you control. Spearfishing in Spain is breath-hold only — no scuba, no compressed air — and you never carry the speargun loaded out of the water.
The golden rule of freediving is never dive alone — «one down, one watching». Solo, scout the exit from land before you get in, take long surface intervals, surface before the strong urge to breathe, leave the water with energy to spare, and tell someone your plan. This tool is a planner, not a safety guarantee — the call is yours, on the rock.
Where to dive, by region
Galiçya
Cold Atlantic northwest, with big tides and sheltered rías between exposed capes. In summer the upwelling fills the water with life, though it can chill and cloud it suddenly; it's the best season, once the storms ease. Mind the Atlantic Islands National Park, where it's banned.
- Viveiro — Spearfishing in Viveiro: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- A Coruña — Spearfishing in A Coruña: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Muros — Spearfishing in Muros: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Ribeira — Spearfishing in Ribeira: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Sanxenxo — Spearfishing in Sanxenxo: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- O Grove — Spearfishing in O Grove: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Vigo — Spearfishing in Vigo: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Baiona — Spearfishing in Baiona: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Kantabrik kıyısı
Open, cold Cantabrian coast, with the biggest tides in Spain (several metres) that dictate rock access. Exposed to the north swell: it opens mainly in the summer calms, with green, life-rich water. Rock and reef for those who know the sea.
- Gijón — Spearfishing in Gijón: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Llanes — Spearfishing in Llanes: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Santander — Spearfishing in Santander: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Castro Urdiales — Spearfishing in Castro Urdiales: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Bermeo — Spearfishing in Bermeo: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Zarautz — Spearfishing in Zarautz: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Hondarribia — Spearfishing in Hondarribia: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Endülüs (Atlantik)
The Atlantic Gulf of Cádiz: here there is a tide, and sizes follow the Atlantic caladero (sea bass, 36 cm). Warmer water than the north, but often with some turbidity from the estuaries and the Atlantic itself. You dive looking for the small-sea days and cleared water.
- Tarifa — Spearfishing in Tarifa: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Conil de la Frontera — Spearfishing in Conil de la Frontera: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Cádiz — Spearfishing in Cádiz: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Chipiona — Spearfishing in Chipiona: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Endülüs (Akdeniz)
The Alborán Sea, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean: warm water with a small tide, a touch larger than the rest of the Mediterranean. Good visibility and rich life, with the great Cabo de Gata-Níjar reserve off-limits. A long season, nearly all year, working the wind-sheltered side of the coast.
- Almería — Spearfishing in Almería: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Carboneras — Spearfishing in Carboneras: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Nerja — Spearfishing in Nerja: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Málaga — Spearfishing in Málaga: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Estepona — Spearfishing in Estepona: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Murcia
Warm, clear Mediterranean, all but tideless. Cabo de Palos and Cabo Tiñoso are legendary, but their marine reserves are closed to spearfishing — you dive outside them. Clear water almost year-round; light and wind rule, not the tide.
- Cartagena — Spearfishing in Cartagena: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Cabo de Palos — Spearfishing in Cabo de Palos: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Águilas — Spearfishing in Águilas: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Levante
Mild, low-tide Mediterranean, with clear water much of the year and a more open, flatter coast than the Costa Brava. The Cap de Sant Antoni reserve (Xàbia–Dénia) is off-limits. As across the whole Mediterranean, the light windows and the day's wind matter more than the tide.
- Peñíscola — Spearfishing in Peñíscola: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Valencia — Spearfishing in Valencia: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Cullera — Spearfishing in Cullera: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Dénia — Spearfishing in Dénia: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Xàbia — Spearfishing in Xàbia: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Santa Pola — Spearfishing in Santa Pola: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Katalonya
Near-tideless Mediterranean: warm, clear water and a long season, from late spring to autumn. The Costa Brava offers rock and drop-offs for the hunter, but with reserves where it's banned — the Illes Medes, Ses Negres and parts of Cap de Creus. Light rules here (dawn and dusk), not the tide.
- Roses — Spearfishing in Roses: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- L'Escala — Spearfishing in L'Escala: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Palamós — Spearfishing in Palamós: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Tossa de Mar — Spearfishing in Tossa de Mar: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Sitges — Spearfishing in Sitges: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- L'Ametlla de Mar — Spearfishing in L'Ametlla de Mar: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Balear Adaları
Mediterranean islands of blue, clear water, all but tideless — some of the best visibility in the country. Rock, drop-offs and plenty of fish; the grouper has its own size (45 cm, 50 in reserves) and mandatory marking. Spearfishing is banned in the marine reserves except in Badia de Palma, Migjorn and Llevant de Mallorca (with a licence).
- Palma — Spearfishing in Palma: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Alcúdia — Spearfishing in Alcúdia: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Maó — Spearfishing in Maó: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Sant Antoni (Ibiza) — Spearfishing in Sant Antoni (Ibiza): sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Formentera — Spearfishing in Formentera: sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Kanarya Adaları
Subtropical Atlantic: blue, warm, clear water almost all year, with a moderate tide. Volcanic rock dropping fast to blue depths and its own species (parrotfish, red porgy). A special regime (Decreto 182/2004): a «2nd-class» licence and several closed reserves, such as La Restinga or La Graciosa.
- Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) — Spearfishing in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria): sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- South Tenerife (Los Cristianos) — Spearfishing in South Tenerife (Los Cristianos): sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) — Spearfishing in Playa Blanca (Lanzarote): sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
- Corralejo (Fuerteventura) — Spearfishing in Corralejo (Fuerteventura): sea forecast and shore-entry spots.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with your autonomous community before you go. Legal basis: RD 347/2011 (BOE) and EU Regulation 2019/1241 in the Mediterranean; each autonomous community has its own rules (licence, sizes, closures).
Do I need a licence to spearfish in Spain?
Yes. A spearfishing licence is mandatory and your autonomous community issues it (not the State), though it is valid in the exterior waters of the whole coast. Each community has its own procedure and name (for example «Clase C» in Galicia or «2nd-class» in the Canaries) and its own validity (1, 3 years…). Some recognise others' licences — Cantabria, for instance, gives «full validity» to those issued by the State or other communities. Spearfishing is always breath-hold (scuba is banned) and the catch may not be sold.
Official source ↗Can I dive at night or with scuba?
No to both. Spearfishing is only allowed in daylight: it is banned from sunset to sunrise (RD 347/2011, art. 16.d). And it is breath-hold only — using a tank or compressed air (scuba) is banned (art. 3). You also may not keep the speargun loaded out of the water (art. 16.a) and must stay at least 300 m from professional fishing boats that are working (art. 12.b).
Official source ↗What's the minimum size for sea bass? Why does it change by area?
Because in Spain sizes go by «caladero» (fishing zone), not by a single national number. Sea bass is the best example: 42 cm on the Cantabrian coast and Northwest (recreational size, RD 347/2011), 36 cm in the Gulf of Cádiz, 25 cm in the Mediterranean (EU Regulation 2019/1241) and 22 cm in the Canaries. The same goes for other species (gilthead bream, 20 cm in the Mediterranean; grouper, 45 cm). Always check your caladero's table — undersized fish go back, and only the species in Annex I of RD 347/2011 may be taken.
Official source ↗Where is spearfishing banned?
In marine reserves and protected zones (without a special permit), in ports and at busy beaches and bathing areas. There are fishing reserves where it is closed — for example the Atlantic Islands (Galicia), the Illes Medes and Cap de Creus (Catalonia), Cap de Sant Antoni (Levante), Cabo de Palos–Islas Hormigas and Cabo Tiñoso (Murcia), Cabo de Gata-Níjar and Alborán (Andalusia), and several reserves in the Balearics and Canaries (La Restinga, La Graciosa…). There are also Natura 2000 areas with restrictions. Always check the no-take zones on the map and confirm with the autonomous community before you go.
Do I need insurance for the licence?
In most communities, yes: the spearfishing licence requires a medical fitness certificate for freediving and accident + civil-liability insurance, which the federative licence usually includes. It is mandatory in the Basque Country, Murcia, Asturias and Galicia; the federative licence covers it in Galicia, the Balearics and Cantabria. The Canaries do not require the insurance but do require a medical fitness certificate (freediving / «a pulmón libre»); Andalusia likewise requires no insurance and a responsible health declaration is enough. Confirm the requirement with your autonomous community.
From what age can I get the licence?
Generally from age 16, but each autonomous community sets it and there are extremes: Andalusia lowers it to 14 (spearfishing modality / class 4) while Murcia raises it to 18. Those under the minimum age may only fish in surface modalities accompanied by a licensed adult.
How do the tides work in the Mediterranean?
Very little. The Mediterranean is an all-but-tideless sea (only a few centimetres), so it stops being a factor: instead of the tide, the solunar calendar and above all the light windows take over — dawn and dusk, when the fish move. It is the opposite of the Cantabrian coast and Galicia, where the tides are big (several metres) and set rock access and the best entry moment. The Canaries have a moderate tide, and Alborán (Mediterranean Andalusia) a touch more than the rest of the Mediterranean.