Diving in Europe: 10 Best Dive Sites

What makes Europe such a good Dive Destination?

It might be the diversity of coral from North to South!

The thousands of Ship Wrecks scattered all over! Or the brilliant mix of big and small life!

Europe is well known for its majestic landscapes, old architecture, charming towns, and small cities, along with a colorful history. Still, what makes Europe so desirable to you is the absolutely amazing seascapes.

The underwater beauty found on this continent is making Europe an absolute top diving destination. If you plan to be scuba diving in Europe, make sure you put these 11 amazing dive sites on your list.

Medes Islands, Spain

Be sure to visit Medes Islands if you are planning on visiting Spain. If you want to experience a fun and relaxing scuba dive this is the place to go. This island belongs to seven islets that are located in the northwest part of the Mediterranean Sea. Visiting the Medes Islands you will find untouched and a much diverse marine environment. I would suggest, that you make reservations ahead of time if you wish to visit the islands. This place fills up with tourists, especially in the summer. Check the prices on diving in Spain, here.

Orkney, Scotland

Make sure to visit Orkney Islands if you plan on heading to the UK, especially the Scapa Flow. Here there are astounding wrecks to explore including seven ships used by Germans during World War I. These wrecks make this particular site really popular among recreational divers. Scapa Flow also contains a diverse marine life, which is especially visible because of the clear waters in this area. Water temperatures are also moderate for most divers but it’s recommended that you bring thick wet suits or a dry suit if you are visiting during the cold diving seasons.

The Blue Hole & Azure Window, Gozo

This is a dive that gives you the best of diving in Europe, great swim throughs, schools of bream, Damsels, Moray eels and parrot fish passing by. You start your dive by entering through the Blue Hole and then you follow the wall through the Azure Window. The wall terraces and rocky formations allow for great dive at your desired depth. Are you having trouble finding a dive center? Check our guide on Choosing the right dive center!

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Scuba diving in Lofoten is really incredible. It is absolutely a must for all dive enthusiasts taking a vacation in Norway. Large formations of kelps, different species of fish, old wrecks, and so much more can be discovered and explored. And if you are lucky, you might be able to dive with the beautiful and famous killer whales visiting the clear waters of Lofoten Islands. Check the prices on a dive trip to Lofoten, here.

MS Zenobia Wreck, Cyprus

MS Zenobia is, or was, a large RO-RO ferry that sank only one after her maiden voyage. She is currently near Larnaca, Cyprus and has been for more than thirty years. She is resting on her port side at approximately 42 meters deep. If you love wreck diving, then this will be the most amazing wreckage you will see in Cyprus. This dive site offers challenges to both beginner divers and experienced divers. Make sure to visit the car deck and observe all of the various objects like trucks, cargo, and all the other things that sank with the ship.

Kilkee, Ireland

Kilkee is located in the little coastal town of County Clare, Ireland. Presently Kilkee is known as the best dive location in Ireland. The underwater world contains some of the most amazing flora and fauna and schools of mackerel, wrasse, and so much more. Old shipwrecks are also here to be explored.

You can also check out things to do in Belfast, Ireland (which is an hour drive away from Kilkee) and plan out a whole itinerary for your trip.

Diving in Malta

Wreck diving in Malta Much like the rest of Europe, Malta is a great spot for Wreck diving. The P29 is one of the wrecks you have to dive at, it’s an old German patrol boat, that’s now resting on the bottom for a great dive. We all know that flying after diving is a not go, but seeing a plane wreck while diving is a big plus, the Blenheim Bomber is a World War II British bomber wreck, that is now resting at 42 meters. While the marine life’s great, you shouldn’t expect to see too much big life on the dives, like rays and sharks, but do expect to see a lot of Moray eels, barracudas, octopus, and the occasional turtle are seen. Read the full guide to Diving in Malta

Anchor bay in Malta

This fantastic dive site for a first tuneup dive or a training dive, it’s located in Popeye’s Village in Malta. It’s near Mellieha and just north of Malta. Anchor Bay is famous for the Popeye Musical in the 1980s, which starred Hollywood actor Robin Williams. Apart from film set, Anchor Bay is home to some cave diving, various marine life, and clear blue waters. Here you will also find a huge anchor with big chains, which led the locals to name the place Anchor Bay.

Island of Chios, Greece

Chios Island is the best place to scuba dive if you are looking for an amazing dive experience in Greece. Chios contains some of the most amazing underwater caves, colorful and large reef formations, vertical walls, beautiful underwater rock formations, and glorious shipwrecks. This place is a great dive site for beginner divers since the water is very visible and the temperatures are moderate, especially during the months of April through October.

Diving in Italy, Portofino

There are lots and lots to do in Italy. And diving is one of the most enjoyable things to do here. You will be shocked at how beautiful the archaeological dive sites are as well as the diverse marine life found in the waters all around Italy. What’s most incredible when diving in Italy is the very affordable rates, so good that even budget tourist can follow, yet the diving is fantastic. Portofino national park offers big rocky structures, cliffs and walls that houses a perfect marine life. You’ll see big groupers sitting on the rocks, while a diverse fish life will astonish you. You’ll find Portofino in the northwest of Italy, just a bit south of the city Genova. Check the prices on diving in Italy, here at PADI or at liveaboard.com here.

Ustica, Italy — Secca Della Colombara

One of the best dive locations in the Mediterranean, the site features amazing underwater rock formations, different species of fish like barracuda, grouper, and amberjacks, plus some old ship wrecks. One of the popular wrecks you can find here is the 74 meter ship which sank in 2005 now resting at approximately 20 meters. Diving in at the waters of Secca Della Colombara is really amazing. The sea is very clear and current is moderate, making the site really suitable for all types of divers. Italy is the prefect destination if you are traveling with your non diving family.

Isle of Man — Burroo

The Isle of Man is absolutely a fantastic dive site possessing a unique underwater topography. The dramatic cliff that is spread throughout the coastline is quite majestic when viewed under the water. Besides the underwater landscape, the place also has an assortment of diverse fish species and other marine life. On the southwest part of the island is a wonderful dive area, known as Calf of Man. And also on the southern part of the Calf is another great dive site called Burroo. Just like the topography of the island, Burroo also boasts amazing underwater landscapes and varying underwater terrain.

Diving in Europe

It’s not just the dive spots above you that have great diving. Europe is filled with good diving all around. And even though it’s a big continent, travel between countries is fairly easy and definitely safe. You can either rent a car and drive from place to place or if you are more of a flying person, Europe has good and fair priced connections via flight, Check out how you easily fly with your dive equipment. Diving in EU has it all, cold water corals, Orcas, Dolphins, great fish life, wrecks, and great reefs. All within reach of you!

To sum it all up! Here’s a quick overview of the great diving Europe has to offer!

Where do you go diving?

Where is your favorite dive site in Europe? Where is your favorite European dive site? Tell us in a comment below! How do you generally like diving in Europe? Rate it here: