Among the most popular watersports in Spain are swimming, diving, waterskiing, surfing and windsurfing.

Surfing is especially popular along the Atlantic coast of the Basque Country and Cantabria; however, Lanzarote in the Canary Islands is the Hawaii of the Atlantic to surfers and Fuerteventura is also good. For the less advanced surfers, the beaches on Costa de la Luz, between Tarifa and Cádiz, have good consistent waves for surfing. On Costa del Sol the beaches around Estepona are particular popular. 

Spain also have some great windsurfing areas, including the island of Fuerteventura and El Mádano in south Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Tarifa at the southernmost tip of Spain on the strait of Gibraltar is also a great place for windsurfing, but especially it is a kitesurfers' paradise and one of Europe's windiest places, where winter winds from the south-west or north-east can reach up to 120kph (75mph) and the average wind speed is 34kmh (21mph). There are numerous websites for windsurfers, which usually include weather reports and news of competitions.

Scuba-diving is a popular sport in Spain, where there are many diving clubs offering instruction and equipment and boat rental. Among the best areas for scuba divers are the seas around the Balearic and Canary Islands. Some scuba divers feel the western part of the Mediterranean is too shallow in shore to be really challenging and doesn't have the rocky undersea terrain, which attracts the greatest variety of species. To some extent this is true, but there is still much sea to explore, particularly the closer one gets to the meeting point of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Going eastwards from Gibraltar, the best places for scuba diving are on Costa Tropical between Nerja and Almunecar and at Cabo de Gata, in Almeria. A diving permit is required to dive in Spanish waters and is obtainable from clubs and schools.

Among other popular watersport activities, apart from swimming and snorkeling, are waterskiing, jet-skiing, rowing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting. Coastal resorts often have designated areas for windsurfing, waterskiing and jet-skiing, and it is forbidden to operate outside these areas. Rowing and canoeing is possible an many lakes and rivers, where canoes and kayaks can usually be rented.