Diving in Malta, Gozo and Comino by level

There are few countries where diving is as good a reason to travel as it is in Malta. The water is clear, the sea never gets properly cold in winter, and within a short distance you have caves, wrecks and walls for every level. In January 2025 the boot Düsseldorf Dive Awards recognised it, naming Malta the world’s best diving destination.

Why Malta is a great place to dive

The Malta Tourism Authority says the award was decided by a panel of diving magazine editors and a public vote. The reasons it gives are the ones I’d highlight too. More than 40 professional centres, two decompression chambers and a mix of wrecks, reefs and caves, along with protected areas such as the Ċirkewwa Marine Park.

Visit Malta mentions over 120 dive sites within minutes of one another, with both shore and boat dives. The Ministry for Gozo adds two points I find decisive. The sea never drops below 14°C, so you can dive almost all year round, and because the islands are small, if the wind is blowing on one side there’s another site a few minutes away.

The rules before you get wet

This is where people get caught out. Since the LN 359 regulations of 2012, every dive centre needs an MTA licence, and only licensed centres may offer training and dives. I’d check that before anything else.

According to the Ministry for Gozo, you may only dive independently with a qualification that takes you to 30 metres; otherwise you must go with a licensed instructor. You fill in a medical questionnaire, and if you tick any of the listed conditions you’ll be asked for a certificate from a doctor specialising in hyperbaric medicine. The law sets no minimum age, the training agency decides, and under-18s need written consent. Visit Malta says children from the age of 10 can get their PADI licence on holiday. Spearfishing is banned in the Marine Conservation Areas.

Where to dive in Malta for your level

If you’re starting out, I’d look at two Comino sites the Ministry for Gozo rates as beginner level. The Santa Marija Caves, 7 metres on average and 10 at most, include a cave of over 30 metres running right through the headland, and you’re surrounded by thousands of seabream because it’s a popular fish-feeding spot. And the P31 wreck, a 52-metre former patrol boat scuttled in 2009, resting upright on a sandy bottom, 20 metres down at the deepest, which the official profile calls ideal for Open Water divers. All the wrecks are in my guide to Malta wreck diving.

If you’re experienced, Gozo is your island. The Blue Hole at Dwejra is, for me, the dive in Malta, with an arch that starts at 6 metres and reaches the bottom at 15. Close by, the Inland Sea tunnel runs about 80 metres out to open water. On Comino, Lantern Point drops through a chimney to 16 metres and continues to 50.

On the main island, the reference point is Ċirkewwa, next to Paradise Bay, with its protected marine area.

For history below the surface, Heritage Malta opens 18 underwater heritage sites, wrecks from both world wars plus the Xlendi archaeological park, through approved dive centres. Most are deep, and the details are in my wrecks guide.

Choosing a centre and what to bring

There are no official prices, as each centre sets its own, so I won’t quote figures. What I’d ask before paying is whether they hold an MTA licence, which agency certifies them (the Ministry for Gozo mentions SSI, CMAS and PADI) and whether kit is included. According to the Ministry for Gozo, centres provide all the equipment, so there’s no need to lug it onto the plane.

If you’d rather stay on the surface with a mask and snorkel, see my guide to snorkelling in Malta, another way into the same underwater world.

Safety and season

Malta has two decompression chambers according to the MTA, and Gozo General Hospital has one. In any emergency, dial 112. For timing, September is my pick, with the sea averaging 26.1°C according to the Met Office. Diving carries on in winter, because the sea doesn’t drop below 14°C. Month by month, see my guide to Malta sea temperature.