The islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino have some of the best diving in the Mediterranean, with dive sites ranging from wrecks to reefs. Most dives in Malta are shore dives, although you will find there are opportunities to do boat dives. Some of the wrecks are below 30 metres, and require some technical training, but for the average recreational diver, there's no shortage of good sites.

Malta

Malta was very heavily bombed during the Second World War, and as such there are lots of wrecks to be explored. HMS Maori is found at Marsamxett harbour and played quite a vital role during the war in the search for the German battleship Bismarck. It was sunk in 1942 and now provides an excellent dive site. Close by, there is the wreck of the Carolita and, not too far away, the MV Odile.

As well as wrecks from the war, Malta also has an artificial wreck. The Um El Faroud is a former oil tanker which was scuttled in 1998. The wreck is located at Wied Iz-Zurrieq and the dive site is good for all levels of divers, starting at a depth of seven metres and going down to 26 metres. Once the dive is over, you can take the short boat ride road to the Blue Grotto, a series of caverns with amazing rock formations inside. It's best to go in the morning because the sunlight makes the water sparkle inside the caverns.

Cirkewwa is the site of the ferry terminal that takes people to and from Gozo. It's also a dive site with a lot of different underwater topography, with caverns, swim-throughs and drop-offs as well as a small cave with a statue of the Holy Mary and also the wreck of the tugboat Rozi. After the dive, you could catch the ferry for the 30-minute trip to Gozo.

Gozo

Gozo also has plenty of excellent sites for diving, including the picturesque Mgarr-Ix-Xini, a small bay with easy entry and exit, ideal for all levels of divers and good for courses. There is a cave in which you can surface, and you can go down to around a maximum depth of 15 metres. Between dives you can just sit and relax at the small cafe.

Gozo is also home to the world-famous Blue Hole and Inland Sea which also have some spectacular topography. The Blue Hole, in Dwejra, is about 16 metres deep and is connected with the open sea. You can also see the Azure Window and Fungus Rock, the former being a huge arch and the latter being a rock in the shape of a mushroom. The dive itself offers a variety of marine life, and very good visibility, normally about 30 metres. The Inland Sea is a few metres away from the Blue Hole and is a big pool of water fronted by a cliff-face. It is connected with the open sea by a tunnel about 100 metres long and a depth of around 25 metres near the exit into the open sea.

Comino

Comino, the smaller of the three main islands, also has some great places to dive. One of these is Lantern Point, a name derived from the fact that there is a lantern that is constantly flashing at the thinnest part of the island. This dive offers a spectacular underwater tunnel, known as the chimney and some huge boulders where you can normally find lots of fish. The dive site usually offers exceptionally good visibility.

The Santa Marija Caves are a series of caves with a depth of about 7 metres. The caves extend about 75 metres into the island and you can usually surface in most of them. Comino is also the site of the Blue Lagoon, with crystal clear waters enhanced by the sandy seabed.

Local Info

Malta has some great underwater life and some of the things you can expect to see include wrasse, grouper, octopus and John Dory. If you are very lucky, you may also see sea horses and stingray.

In summer you'll need no more than a 5mm wetsuit and in winter you should consider a semi-dry or dry suit. There will usually be somewhere to dive all year round and naming all of Malta's dive sites here would just take too long. And, of course, there are new sites and wrecks being discovered all the time. Between dives you might want to try a couple of pastizzi and a bottle of Kinnie, and perhaps a packet of Twistees, all native to Malta.

There is no shortage of dive schools on the island and it's up to you which you choose. Qualified divers can also dive unguided at dive sites, although some say you get more out of a dive if you go with an instructor who knows the sites and knows what you can potentially see and where you can see it. You will also be able to rent and buy dive equipment from the schools.