Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on May 2, 2021
Established in 1999, the Masia Blanca Marine Reserve is the main marine protected area on the Costa Daurada. It protects a rocky reef that outcrops in front of Coma-ruga large sandy beach. You can snorkel the shallows near the beach, but a boat trip is required to discover the spot’s most beautiful areas, where scorpionfish, small groupers and moray eels can sometimes be seen.
The Masia Blanca Marine Reserve is located in Coma-ruga, about 30km north of Tarragona. To find the reserve, reach this point (located opposite the spot) and park in the nearby streets.
The snorkeling area is not marked with buoys, but you can ask the marine reserve information desk to show you the direction.
Enter the water from the sandy beach, in front of the spot. If you plan to go further than the area near the beach (zone 1 on the map above), take a diving flag with you.
The Masia Blanca Marine Reserve can be divided into 3 snorkeling areas:
1 / A 40m wide band which extends right in front of the beach (zone 1 on the map).
It has shallow sandy and rocky bottoms (↕2-6ft/0,5-2m) where striped red mullet, wrasse, two-banded seabream and sometimes rarer species like the zebra seabream can be seen. This area is suitable for beginners and children.
2 / After having snorkeled over large expanses of sand, you will reach the first rocky ridges, which start some 100-130m from the beach (zone 2 on the map). Here, the seabed is rocky, covered with algae and sponges (↕10-15ft/3-5m). This fairly deep area is not recommended if you snorkel only from the surface.
Two banded seabream, sargo and salema are among the most common fish species here. In this area, take a diving flag with you, because boats and jet skis sometimes pass nearby (do not go beyond the line of yellow buoys, which can be seen on either side of the reserve at about 170-180m from the beach).
3 / About 200m from the beach is the heart of the reserve (zone 3 on the map), where rocky ridges and maerl banks (accumulations of coralline algae) are found some 10-12ft/3-4m deep. Due to the distance between the beach and this area (and because boats are frequently seen crossing the area), it is recommended to get there by boat.
Some Coma-ruga operators offer snorkeling tours to the reserve. Here, you can discover the fantastic underwater diversity of Masia Blanca, where moray eels, congers, small groupers and brown meagre are occasionally sighted.
Underwater visibility can be poor in the reserve, located in the middle of a sandy beach and near a stream mouth.
There are no restaurants just in front of the spot. Walking or driving towards the center of Coma-Ruga by the seafront, you’ll find several restaurants along the beach and near the port.
These spots are only recommended to good swimmers, in good physical conditions, and with excellent snorkeling skills. These spots can experience currents, moderate waves, important depths, tight or narrow passages, or tricky water entrance, and can be located near hazardous areas (channels, boat traffic, strong currents…). The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas can be important - up to 500 meters. The “advanced” category includes drift snorkeling (transported by currents) and snorkeling off the coast. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell.You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
