Nine Best Dive Sites in the Mediterranean in 2024

9 January 2024
Revealed: the best dives in the Med in 2024, as voted for by scuba divers. And you too can vote: tell us favourite dive site in the Mediterranean - a wreck, caves, exuberance of sealife or something else?

1. The Zenobia, Cyprus

The wreck of a huge ferry. Lying on its port side, the wreck starts at about 15 m and descends to 42 m. Needs several dives to see anything like all of it. 104 lorries lie besides it. She sank on her maiden voyage in 1979. No lives were lost. Groupers have made the wreck their home and you will also see barracuda and nudibranch.

Grouper on the Zenobia — Grouper & divers on the Zenobia. Rostislav Ageev/DepositPhotos

2. Cirkewwa, Malta

This dive site includes the wreck of the Rozi MV as well as stunning underwater topography. Visibility is very good and there is an sabundance of sea life: barracuda, morays, octopus, cuttlefish and even dolphins.

3. Blue Hole, Gozo

A beautiful sharp drop off into the blue hole with what seems like limitless visibility and feels like you are on the very edge of the world.

4. Chios island, Greece

Small undersea caves and paths between impressive rocks, colourful reefs and vertical walls. Shoals of salpas, tunnies and colourful wrasses, sarguses, curious combers and perches.

5. Fortunal, Vis Island, Croatia

The island of Vis is one of the furthest away from the Croatian mainland. The Fortunal is a wreck of a fishing boat which sunk in 1991. She lies at the bottom of a vertical wall. The wreck sits between 45 and 55 m. Besides the wreck itself the wall is full of life and extremely interesting. The visibility is excellent. The bottom is covered with pale sand which reflects the light. The dive site also features a cave at 40 m.

John Dory above the wreck of the Fortunal. Stephan Ludwig/DepositPhotos

6. Canyon, Kas, Turkey

The Canyon runs between two steep walls. It features a tunnel with loads of invertebrate life. You might even see a Mediterranean Monk Seal. After travelling through the Canyon you will come across the Dimitri wreck at between 30 and 40 m. (Although most often referred to as "Dimitri", the ship was actually called the SS Dimitrios M.) She was built in 1948 and ran aground in 1968 on route from Turkey to Greece with a cargo of cotton.

7. Secca della Columbara, Ustica, Italy

One of the best dives in the Med. It features a steep, beautifully-decorated, wall; large shoal of barracuda; grouper; giant amberjacks and a wreck.

8. Dofi, Medes Islands

Named for the little dolphin statue, its a system of caves through one of the Medes Islands in the marine reserve, full of groupers and bream, with beautiful gorgonian corals and eagle rays cruising by.

Read more about diving in the Medes Islands

9. La Vaca, Medes Islands

Another Medes Island dive, going as deep as 55 meters, but at 18 to 25m you meet the friendly groupers and feel like you're swimming in an aquarium. Wonderful corals and rays here too plus vaca nudibranchs.

Vaca nudibranch, Peltodoris atromaculata,

Read more about diving in the Medes Islands

You may also be interested in our top ten dives in the world list.

Comments | Vote for a Dive Site | Books of the World's Best Dive Sites | Newsletter

Compiled from divers' votes by Jill Studholme

Your Top Med Dives

How are the votes counted?
The first criteria is number of votes (weighted to favour the first choice dive site above the second). Where two dives tie for a position, priority is given to those with the most enticing descriptions and those whose area has several votes for different dives.

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