Pinar del Rio

Information:

International Diving Center María la Gorda

Dive Zone             : Ensenada de Corrientes

Operator              : CIB Puertosol María la Gorda

Diving sites          : 50

Kind of floor      : Coral reefs, caves,walls, whale sharks in winter, black coral. Plenty off species  like groupers, barracudas, sponges and sea turtles.

Compressors           : Bauer  k-18

Bottles:                 :12 Liters...... 27 steel                  Cressi  Sub

                                                70 aluminium         Luxfer

                             15 liters...... 10 steel

Equipment         : 30 kits    Cressi Sub

                               Regulators with the auxiliary 2nd step, manometer and deeper.   

Diving Capacity : 80 divers in 2 outcomes daily

Instructors          : CMAS,  SSI.

Dive Boats           : 2 yachts 41 feets

Hyper baric Chamber  :  45 min. by helicopter (flying to Habana City)

Address              : Península de Guanahacabibes, Sandino, Pinar del Río, Cuba. 

Main Dives sities (Depth. Meters / Feets)

1. Paraíso perdido (20/66)

2. Ancla del pirata (10/33)

3. Las tetas de María (20/66)

4. El almirante (30/98)

5. Yemaya (16/52)

6. El faraón (15/49)

7. El Salón de María (30/98)

Description of the bottom: The waters around the Cuban archipelago are characterized by their gentleness – mild tides and no strong currents -, their warmth over 24°C all year round, their virgin conditions  - no pollution and well – preserved bottoms -, the diversity of its underwater flora and fauna, and the total absence of aggressive animals. The diving sities in María La Gorda are from 5 minutes up to 1-hour navigation. From 5 meters ( 16 feets) you can see big and isolated patches of coral with an abundant sessile fauna, specially gorgonians and sea fans, more than 20 species of coral and lots of small and medium size fish. Lobsters, morays and crabs can be frequently seen in the boles of the bottom. From 10 meters ( 33 feets) deep these patches are joined together and increasingly bigher, thus forming a chain of tall coral billocks cut by channels and passages, with walls falling sharply and deeply. The wall shows attractive structures such as boles, tunnels and vertical caves where you can see beautiful black coral colonies, big tubular branch or cupshape sponges and 2 meters (6.5 feet) big gorgonians. Among the fish that move along the wall we can mention barracudas, jacks, dogsnappers, snappers, and schoolmasters. 

Centro Internacional de Buceo María la Gorda

Zona de Buceo     : Ensenada de Corrientes

Operador              : CIB Puertosol María la Gorda

Puntos de buceo   : 50

Tipo de fondo      : Barreras coralinas, cuevas, paredes, tiburón ballena en invierno y     Coral Negro. Abundantes especies como chernas, barracudas,     esponjas y quelóneos.      

Compresor           : Bauer  k-18

Tanques               :12 Litros...... 27 acero                  Acero :      Cressi  Sub

                                                70 aluminio                Aluminio:  Luxfer

                             15 litros...... 10 acero

Equipamientos     : 30 módulos    Cressi Sub

                                 Reguladores con 2da etapa auxiliar, manómetro y profundímetro.   

Capacidad del CIB: 80 buzos en dos salidas (diarias)

Instructores          : CMAS,  SSI.

Embarcaciones     : 2 de 41  pies

Cámara Hiperb.    : A 45 min. en helicóptero (hacia La Habana)

Dirección               : Península de Guanahacabibes, Sandino, Pinar del Río, Cuba. 

PRINCIPALES PUNTOS DE BUCEO (Profundidad. Metros / Pies)

1. Paraíso perdido (20/66)

2. Ancla del pirata (10/33)

3. Las tetas de María (20/66)

4. El almirante (30/98)

5. Yemaya (16/52)

6. El faraón (15/49)

7. El Salón de María (30/98)

Descripción de los fondos: Las aguas que rodean el archipiélago cubano son apacibles, tienen una temperatura por encima de los 24⁰C,  mantienen su virginidad debido a la carencia de contaminantes y lo bien conservado de sus  fondos, tienen una visibilidad media horizontal de 30 metros ( 98 pies), poseen diversidad de flora y fauna subacuática y ausencia total de animales agresivos. Los puntos de buceo en el CIB María La Gorda se encuentran desde 5 minutos a 1 hora de navegación. A partir de los 5 metros aparecen grandes y aislados parches de corales con una abundante fauna sésil donde sobresalen las gorgonias y abanicos. Langostas, morenas y cangrejos se observan con frecuencia entre las oquedades del fondo. A partir de los 10 metros de profundidad estos parches se van uniendo y ganando en altura, formando una cordillera de altos mogotes coralinos interrumpida por canales y pasadizos, que caen abruptamente en forma de pared hacia grandes profundidades. La pared muestra atractivas estructuras como grutas, túneles y cuevas verticales, donde sobresalen las colonias de coral negro, grandes esponjas tubulares, ramosas o en forma de copas y gorgonias de más de 2 metros de altura. Los peces más representados son las barracudas, jureles, jocuses, pargos y cajíes.

The diving-places of Cuba reveal an even little touched underwater-world, that offering some of the most beautiful and most interesting diving-areas of the whole Caribbean. 

  The underwater-landscapes unique in the Caribbean with interesting caves - and labyrinths, mysterious shipwrecks and a big variety of corals - and a great marine world is the home in one of the biggest coral-reefs of the oceans and invites to splendid diving-adventure. 

Do the acquaintance with all the many crusts -, molluscs and tropical fish, just as with adventurous meetings with Barracudas and sharks, stingrays and gigantic Murrains. 

 Under the best diving-places of Cuba, we introduce to you here " Maria la Gorda ", which occupies a particular position under the Cuban diving-goals with its excellent diving-places! 

   Maria la Gorda lies at the southern coast of the west-top of Cuba. This place was early venue and silence-place for corsairs and pirates and you still find rests of Galleons, anchors and cannons in the waters. The distance of Havanna amounts to approximately 300 km and is to be reached in 3-4 hours with the transference.  

.  The " Hotel Villa Maria la Gorda " is located on a white, 8km reach sandy beach. It expects you a fully equipped Diving-Center, two boats with emergency-equipment and UHF-radio. The diving-reasons are approached from the hotel directly.  

In the emergency, the next lying clinic is approached per helicopters with decompression-chamber. 

  Hotel-info: 20 bungalows with each 2 double rooms, air-conditioning, Bath/WC, TV, mini-bar; Facilities: Restaurant, leisure time-area, billiard etc, travel agency, car rental agency. Night-dives and boat-tours can be booked in the Diving Center. The restaurant of the hotel is specialized in the making of fresh fish. 

To dive in crystal-clear water is approached up to 40 positions in depths of 5-46m; protruding is the cave La Sala de Maria that is deep approximately 20m and the valley of the black corals with a 30m deep coral-ridge. A recommendation for diving-beginners is the " Ancla del Pirata " in 15m gravities a special attraction.  

Diving-season is all-year with view up to over 40m and water-temperatures of the 24°-30°C according to season.  

Leads the Diving-Center the company Marina Puertosol in Maria la Gorda. With well trained, professional personnel, what is solicitous about the security and the comfort of the guests very much, they try to guarantee an optimal service.     From here also country-trips recommend themselves with its known tobacco-factory or into the beautiful and picturesque Viñales-Tal into the heart of Pinar del Rio where tobacco-plantations and mountains represent an unique scenario.  

 Dive Places of Cuba

CUBA DIVING

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