Scuba diving in Malta: Best spots and prices
Discover the best dive centres, courses, and spots for scuba diving in Malta in this guide we've prepared for you.
Malta is one of the best destinations in the world for scuba diving, thanks to its crystal-clear waters, its ideal diving spots and its strong infrastructure.
This has earned the country several awards as a top diving destination. In 2025, it became the world’s best diving destination, according to the boot Düsseldorf Dive Awards 2025.
Because of this, we created this guide so you discover the best diving centres in Malta, the top dive sites and what your trip might cost. Stay until the end to see which courses you can take there.
Diving centres and courses in Malta
Malta offers everything you need for an unforgettable underwater experience in the Mediterranean Sea. You’ll also find the right support to learn from zero or, if you already have experience, specialise in any of the available disciplines:
1. OK Diving Malta
In the town of St Paul’s Bay, you’ll find this dive centre, where you can book experiences with 2, 4, 6 or 8 dives. Each option includes transport to the dive sites, equipment and a specialised guide.
OK Diving Malta offers courses for beginners and advanced divers, including popular specialties such as night diving, rescue and navigation. All courses follow PADI certification standards.
The best part is that some instructors speak English, which makes communication easier. The centre recently upgraded its facilities, now offering heated training pools, restaurants and its own beach access area.
2. DSDIVERS Malta
This centre offers diving packages that take you to several famous wrecks and ship remains in Malta, with everything included, from transport to full equipment.
If you already have experience and need a specific tool for your dives, you can buy it in their online shop. You’ll find specialised suits and many useful accessories.
They offer Spanish-speaking assistance and provide courses for every level, all with PADI certification.
You can learn everything from the basics to advanced specialties such as deep diving, rescue, wreck diving or adventure diving, which takes you below 30–40 metres. DSDIVERS sits on Ramon Perellos Street, in St Paul’s Bay.

3. Blue Waters Dive Cove
On Gozo Island, you’ll find this dive centre offering everything from accommodation to full diving experiences in Maltese waters. They also run courses for all levels and specialties for divers who want to improve their skills.
Blue Waters Dive Cove gives you complete diving programmes with 1, 4, 6 or 8 dives. All packages include weights, tanks, guides and return transport to the best dive locations.
If you prefer independent diving because you already have the experience, you can also contact this centre, since they rent all the necessary equipment. Gozo offers some of the most important dive sites in Malta, and the centre can guide you through them.
4. Ritual Dive Gozo Malta
You’ll also find this centre on the island of Gozo, more precisely in Xlendi. This area is known for its natural beauty and coastline. One of its main strengths is its proximity to iconic Maltese dive sites, including the Blue Hole.
Ritual Dive offers courses for every level, from Discover Scuba, which doesn’t certify you but gives you a great first dive, to beginner programmes that teach you everything needed for deep dives, plus specialties like nitrox, wreck diving, divemaster training and rescue.
Their diving plans operate across Gozo, Malta and Comino, giving you the chance to explore several of Malta’s best dive sites, including wrecks and unique caverns.
Dive courses available in Malta
Malta gives divers of all levels a suitable space to enjoy the sea and learn through the island’s courses.
Below, you’ll see the PADI-certified training levels you can study in Malta:
- For beginners:
- Intro to Diving or PADI/SSI Discover Scuba Diving: You’ll learn the basics for shallow-water dives.
- Open Water Diver or PADI/SSI Open Water Diver: This common entry-level course lets you dive to 18 metres.
- PADI Scuba Diver: This short intensive course allows dives down to 12 metres.
- For advanced or specialised divers:
- Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI): You’ll dive to 30 metres and improve essential navigation skills.
- Rescue Diver (PADI): You’ll learn everything linked to rescue and self-rescue techniques.
- Divemaster: This course teaches you to guide divers and support advanced students during training.
- Specialties:
- Nitrox
- Wreck diving
- Navigation
- Underwater photography
- Search and recovery
- Cavern diving
- Night diving
The best places to dive in Malta
Malta offers a very wide catalogue of diving spots, as you’ll find over 100 specific locations suitable for unforgettable dives among local marine life.
However, below you’ll see four of Malta’s most important dive sites. Each one has its own character, and we selected them because they suit different experience levels.
1. The Blue Hole
You’ll find this spot on Gozo Island. It’s perhaps Malta’s most famous diving site thanks to the natural rock arch greeting you at the start of the descent. Depending on your experience, you can dive down to 15 metres.
At eight metres, you’ll discover a cavern you can explore calmly. There’s also a natural chimney-shaped rock passage that guides you towards open sea. Marine life includes moray eels, groupers, lobsters, barracudas, octopuses and colourful nudibranchs.
2. Um El Faroud
This wreck belonged to a petroleum tanker that sank over 25 years ago. The site offers 30 metres of depth and you can explore its 100-metre structure calmly.
The ship rests vertically, although it split in two around 20 years ago, which created extra access points for divers. You’ll reach the wreck on the southern side of Malta and the site suits only advanced divers.
Besides exploring the vessel, you’ll see barracudas, moray eels, molluscs and large fish schools.
3. Santa Maria Caves
On the northern side of Comino Island, you’ll enjoy an unforgettable dive around this network of tunnels. Depth ranges from five to 18 metres depending on your experience level.
These rock tunnels and chambers shelter rich marine life, including crabs, octopuses, shrimps, spiny lobsters and fish like sea bream, conger eels, gilthead and moray eels.
You’ll likely take many photos here, as the narrow passages often receive light beams that highlight the rocky underwater scenery.
4. HMS Maori Wreck
Near Valletta, Malta’s capital, you’ll find this British destroyer from the Second World War.
At nine metres, you’ll already see the upper section. At 15 metres, you’ll notice that the structure lies split in two due to long-term deterioration.
This artificial habitat hosts scorpionfish, nudibranchs, rays, seahorses, flying gurnards and sea bream schools. Both beginners and advanced divers enjoy this wreck safely.
Connectivity while diving in Malta
While you dive in Malta, don’t lose your internet connection, as you’ll need it to contact your loved ones and the diving centres. It also helps you move around the country, find accommodation, request transport or translate words you don’t understand.
For all that, Holafly’s monthly subscription plans work very well. You can install an eSIM with unlimited data or 25 GB, which lets you share the connection with other devices. These plans are global and offer coverage in over 170 countries.
If you’ll stay only a few days or some weeks, we suggest the Holafly Malta eSIM, which gives you unlimited data only for the days you need.
How much does scuba diving in Malta cost?
Diving costs in Malta vary, because most expenses depend on the activity you choose and whether you’ll take a beginner, advanced or specialty course. Other factors such as the diving centre also affect your total budget.
Still, here are some reference prices. These amounts are approximate because they can increase or decrease depending on the season or each centre’s policies.
- Try dive: This experience, which doesn’t certify you, costs between €70 ($76.50) and €90 ($98.40).
- Certification courses: Depending on the level, a diving certification costs from €350 ($382) to €550 ($601).
- Dives for advanced divers: A single dive costs €50 ($55), while a pack of ten dives reaches €300 ($328).
- Other costs if you go on your own:
- Boat transport: Reaching a dive site costs €28 ($31) per trip.
- Daily meals: A mid-range restaurant charges between €15 ($16.40) and €25 ($27) for a main dish.
- Accommodation: A hotel night costs between €55 ($60) and €150 ($164), depending on comfort and services.

Frequently Asked Questions
From May to October, you’ll get ideal diving conditions in Malta. During these months, the sea feels warm and currents stay calm, which gives you better visibility underwater. Still, you can dive at any time of year if you want.
Yes, as long as you dive with an instructor and guide. A try dive with a certified centre gives you the safest and most enjoyable experience.
The diving centres in Malta will help you refresh your knowledge with a refresher diving course. This will be enough to allow you to dive back into the sea with confidence.
OK Diving Malta and DSDIVERS Malta are two centres where you can request full service in Spanish.
Anchor Bay offers depths up to 12 metres. Cirkewwa suits beginners thanks to its reefs and drop-off wall. You can also visit Ghar Lapsi, a shallow cave system ideal for easy dives.
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