Where Are The Best Beginner Diving Spots In The Med

The Mediterranean’s calm, crystal clear waters and excellent visibility make it a great place for beginner divers, as well as the more advanced. There’s plenty to see when diving on a Mediterranean yacht charter – from rare Mediterranean monk seals and ancient artefacts in Greece, to the stunning volcanic formations and teeming marine reserves of Southern Italy.

A luxury yacht charter is the ideal launching pad for your underwater adventures, as you float in luxurious, decadent privacy from one spectacular dive site to the next. We’ve compiled a list of some of the top destinations for beginner divers in the Mediterranean.

Diving on an Italy Yacht Charter

When on an Italy yacht charter, the glimmering sapphire waters of Sardinia beg to be explored. The rocky limestone coast of Sardinia has created an underwater wonderland of caves, drop-offs, and tunnels, with spectacular caverns at Costa Paradiso, Isola Rossa, Cagliari, Capo Caccia, Paulau and La Maddelina.

The Sicilian island of Ustica offers some of the most exceptional diving in the Mediterranean, with an incredible volcanic topography and a teeming marine reserve. The seabed is made of black volcanic rock and the nutrient-rich waters attract an explosion of marine life: vast schools of barracudas, groupers, and giant amberjacks call the Sicilian waters home. Le Alghe Bianche is also a fantastic easy dive down to an ancient Roman pier, where you’ll find amphorae in a cave and a nearby wall covered in gorgonian fans and sponges.

Diving on a Malta Yacht Charter

Malta’s warm, clear waters and breathtaking rocky coastlines make the island one of the Mediterranean’s best diving locations, with lots to offer both beginner divers and the more advanced.

Dive to see the Madonna statue at Cirkewwa, swim through ethereally beautiful caves at Ghar Lapsi, and explore the sensational wreck of HMS Maori, a WWII destroyer which was hit by a bomb in 1942. Other beginner dives include the reef at Wied iz-Zurrieq and the two shipwrecks at in Marsescala, both of which permit divers to can swim inside.

When you earn your advanced qualification, you can return to Malta to see the incredible Blenheim Bomber aircraft on the seabed and the unmissable Blue Hole on Gozo.

Diving on a Greece Yacht Charter

If you’re cruising the stunning Cyclades archipelago in Greece, tear yourself away from the restaurants, beaches and nightlife of Mykonos to dive the spectacular caverns of Dragonisi Island, just off the south east coast. This is one of the few places in the world you can find Mediterranean monk seals, so keep a good lookout for this very rare and beautiful creature flitting through the water.

Meanwhile, the Ionian Islands have much more to offer than just the incredible Shipwreck Beach. Be sure to dive Marathonisi – often called Turtle Island because it’s not only shaped like a turtle, but it’s a nesting site for loggerhead turtles.

On a Crete yacht charter, dive off Shanaria Beach to see graceful manta rays and octopus hiding in the rocks. Crete is also a great place to spot ancient artefacts – like amphorae vases – on the sea floor. North of Crete in Kos, you can drift through the bubbles from a volcano, take gentle drift dives, and float through caves and tunnels; nearby Kalymnos also offers excellent diving.

The Mediterranean offers an endless itinerary of superb beginner dive sites. They are ideally explored on a yacht charter through Italy, Greece or Malta.

Step Aboard S/Y PRANA to Dive Beneath the Waves

Offered for charter by Fraser, S/Y PRANA is a stunning 51.7m that underwent a full refit in 2016. Built by Alloy Yachts and designed by Dubois Naval Architects, the performance sailing vessel combines lavish comfort and functionality to create a memorable charter experience. In addition to snorkelling and diving gear, S/Y PRANA offers guests the use of a karaoke machine, gym, Jacuzzi, the latest water toys and two Castoldi tenders for reaching those otherwise inaccessible diving spots. She sleeps 10 guests in five spectacular staterooms and is available to charter from €175,000 per week.