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 August 1, 2022
Playa de Levante, fringed with skyscrapers, is one of Benidorm’s two main sandy beaches. Its golden sand, deck chairs and facilities make it one of the most popular beaches in the area. If sandy beaches are rarely good snorkeling spots, Playa de Levante is quite different: the seabed facing the beach is covered by huge stone slabs around which many fish find shelter.
Playa de Levante is a large sandy beach that borders the city center of Benidorm, a famous seaside resort on Costa Blanca. It extends for more than 2 km between Punta de Pinet, in the east, and Punta Canfali, in the west.
The beach is within walking distance of most neighborhoods of Benidorm. Decent snorkeling is found all along the beach, but its eastern part, which is more rocky and therefore richer in underwater life, is more recommended.
Several coves with good snorkeling are located near Playa de Levante: Cala Mal Pas, just behind Punta Canfali, and Cala Almadabra and Cala Ti Ximo, east of Punta de Pinet.
Water entrance is from a sandy beach. This beach can be quite exposed to wind and surf: do not enter the water if the sea is rough.
The eastern part of Playa de Levante is bordered by natural stone slabs, which begins a few meters from the beach. These slabs, many of them geometrically shaped, create an unusual seabed. At the end of the slabs area, some 30 to 70m from the beach, the rocky beds give place to an extensive sandy area .
Playa de Levante slabs and artifical rocks offer an abundance of cracks and small grottos, attracting around them many fish. Ornate wrasse, painted comber, and damselfish live here, where they can benefit from the shelter offered by the rocks. Sally-footed crabs are also common in this area.
The rocky area also supports large schools of salema, grazing tirelessly on the microalgae that grow on the rocks. Different species of seabream are also common in Playa de Levante.
Above the sandy beds, two species of jellyfish are sometimes encountered: the purple jellyfish, quite common, and the beautiful fried egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata), much rarer.
A very large choice of hotels, restaurants, fast food and supermarkets is available within a 5 minute walk from the beach.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. 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.
