The remains of The Llanishen can be found in the small bay of Es Caials near Cadaques. A British merchant ship during the First World War, the Llanishen was torpedoed by a German U-Boat and abandoned by its crew. When the ship failed to sink, it was boarded by a local skipper for salvage, and anchored in Es Caials. The ship was sunk after being dynamited, the main section of the hull lying in 12-17m of water.
As well as providing an interesting wreck dive suitable of the novice scuba diver, Es Caials is interesting for another reason; when the Tramuntana (the strong north wind directly from the Pyrenees capable of gusting at over 100kmh) blows, the orientation of the bay provides shelter that allows virtually the only diving on the Costa Brava.
The dive site is reached by following the signs from Cadaques and there is some parking available in the bay. There is a dive centre just before you reach Es Caials, so if you need to rent equipment or require a bottle fill you can do so there. From the middle of the bay there are some steps down to a concrete platform. The easiest method of entry and exit is to put on and remove your BCD in the water.
To reach the wreck you should swim directly out. The bay gradually increases in depth and the wreck is right in front of you lying perpendicular to your direction of travel. There is usually a buoy attached to the wreck, which is a good landmark. You should be aware that to the right of the buoy there can be some boat traffic and should therefore remain to the left of the buoy when swimming in and out. It is also good practise to float a Surface Marker Buoy (SMB or sausage) so that boats and other sea traffic can see you on exit.
The other side of the bay has smaller section of hull, although in deeper water.


