Diving María la Gorda

María la Gorda is a remote diving resort at the westernmost part of Cuba, about 300 km west of Havana. The resort is located directly on the coast of the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, within the Guanahacabibes National Park, a protected area known for its relatively undeveloped coastline and marine habitats.

The main attraction for divers is the reef wall, which can be reached by a short boat ride from the resort. The wall drops dramatically into deep water and is covered with large corals and some spectacular sponges. The visibility is often exceptional. During one of my dives, I could clearly see people swimming around the dive boat from a depth of more than 40 metres—an impressive demonstration of the clarity of the water.

The top of the reef is relatively shallow and provides excellent conditions for a second dive. Large schools of smaller reef fish can be found around the reef, together with barracudas and smaller groupers. The shallow reef also contains numerous corals and sponges and offers good opportunities for underwater photography.

During my dives, however, larger reef fish were surprisingly uncommon. I rarely encountered large groupers and did not see a reef shark during my dives at María la Gorda. This is in marked contrast to Jardines de la Reina, where black grouper, Nassau grouper, and Goliath grouper were much more frequently encountered. Overfishing in the past may be one factor contributing to the difference, although the actual causes of regional differences in fish populations are more complicated.

The spectacular visibility and the steep wall make María la Gorda particularly attractive for experienced divers. Many of the wall dives are relatively deep, with dives reaching around 40 metres. During my visits, Nitrox was not available, which limited the practical bottom time on these deeper dives considerably. Careful planning is therefore important, particularly when doing several wall dives over consecutive days.

María la Gorda is not a place to visit for nightlife or extensive tourism infrastructure. Its attraction is precisely its remote location, access to the Guanahacabibes reefs, clear water, and uncrowded diving. For me, the combination of exceptionally clear water and dramatic walls was the defining feature of diving here.