Diving & Snorkelling in Malta: Best Tours & Sites 2026

Malta sits at the centre of the Mediterranean with some of the clearest water in Europe – visibility regularly reaches 30–40 metres, the sea is warm from June through October and the range of sites covers shallow reef snorkelling, sea caves and century-old wrecks. Organised tours run half-day sessions from around €35 for snorkelling and €80 for a beginner scuba lesson, both with small groups capped at four or five and no prior experience required. For certified divers, Gozo's Blue Hole is one of the defining sites in this part of the world and sits a short ferry ride from Malta.

The best beginner scuba lesson: Aquatica (St Paul's Bay)

The standout beginner product is the "Malta: First Experience Scuba Diving Lesson" run by Aquatica Diving Centre from St Paul's Bay. It earns a 4.7★ "Top rated" badge on GetYourGuide with nearly 600 verified bookings – marked "Likely to sell out" in peak season – and groups are capped at four participants.

The session covers a shore briefing on equipment and safety, shallow-water practice and a guided dive to around 6–8 metres. Duration is 2.5–3.5 hours including the land portion; instructors speak English, Italian, German and Spanish. No prior training is required and cost is €80 per person with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.

For anyone considering a full PADI Open Water certification, St Paul's Bay is the best base for courses in Malta. Most schools run eLearning options to complete theory before you arrive, reducing classroom time once on the island.

Courses typically run four to five days and include four open-water qualifying dives. Ask the school about scheduling one of those dives at the Blue Hole on Gozo.

Snorkelling tours from Sliema

For those who'd rather stay at the surface, the Aquatica Snorkelling Tour departs from Sliema and runs 2.5 hours along the coastline. It covers sea caves, rocky formations and the kind of marine habitat that's hard to reach from shore on foot.

The group is capped at five, all gear is provided and the guide speaks English. At €35 it's one of the most straightforward activity bookings in Malta. Book: Malta: Snorkeling Tour.

Snorkelling at the Blue Lagoon on Comino is a separate option that doesn't require a guided tour – you swim from the boat and the visibility is typically excellent. The Blue Lagoon guide covers which boat tours include a swim stop and how the QR slot system works for shore access; for everything else to do on Comino, the Comino island guide is the reference.

Gozo: the Blue Hole and Inland Sea

The Blue Hole at Dwejra on Gozo's west coast is the most famous dive site in the central Mediterranean. A circular pool connects through a natural archway to open water at 8m, then drops along the outer wall to around 25m.

The Azure Window arch above it collapsed in 2017 but the underwater structure is entirely intact. The wall is covered in soft corals and sponges, visibility regularly exceeds 30 metres, and it's suitable from PADI Open Water level upwards.

Immediately adjacent, the Inland Sea is a sheltered lagoon connected to the open Mediterranean by a 70-metre tunnel through the cliff. Snorkelling or diving that passage opens suddenly to blue open ocean – one of the most dramatic experiences in Maltese waters.

The combination of Blue Hole and Inland Sea in a single day is the standard Gozo diving itinerary. For the logistics of getting there, the Gozo day trip guide covers the ferry from Ċirkewwa.

Wrecks: the Um El Faroud and HMS Maori

Malta has some of the best accessible wreck diving in the Mediterranean. The Um El Faroud near Wied iż-Żurrieq is a 110-metre oil tanker scuttled in 1998 as an artificial reef, lying at 20–36m.

It's now heavily colonised by corals, grouper and barracuda. The main deck at 20m suits Open Water divers; deeper sections and full penetration require Advanced or technical ratings.

HMS Maori, a British destroyer sunk in Valletta Harbour in 1942, is shallower – around 14m at the bottom. It sits close enough to shore in the Grand Harbour that it's one of the few wrecks in Malta accessible without a dive boat. Advanced snorkellers can see the superstructure from the surface on a calm day.

Certification and equipment

A PADI Open Water course in Malta typically runs four to five days and certifies you to dive independently to 18m worldwide. Prices range from around €300–400 depending on operator and what's included. For already-certified divers, Malta is a popular spot for advancing to PADI Advanced Open Water or working through specialty ratings – wreck, night dive and deep specialties are all well-served by the local sites.

Equipment hire is available from most dive centres. For guided tours and try-dive lessons, all gear is included in the price. Independent divers hiring kit should confirm cylinder size (10L or 12L), whether a BCD and regulator are included, and whether a guide is required for specific sites.

Best time to dive and snorkel

The sea is diveable year-round. Water temperature peaks at 26–27°C from August to October – the warmest and calmest window. April to June offers excellent visibility with fewer crowds.

July and August are reliable but bring more boat traffic around Comino and the south coast caves. Snorkelling tours typically operate April to October; outside that window, availability depends on the operator.

For winter diving, a 7mm wetsuit or drysuit is recommended as the sea drops to around 15°C in February.