From world-renowned wrecks to sustainable missions, Malta is a top-notch diving spot
Once again, Malta has been shortlisted in the Dive Travel Awards and is 1 of 25 in the running to become crowned the “Best Diving Destination” in the world. Historically, the Mediterranean archipelago has ranked second in the specialist magazine’s renowned ceremony, but 2019 could be the year it reaches the top spot (you can vote here). Here are 7 reasons why Malta deserves to be crowned the number one diving destination.
Malta is just a three-hour flight from the UK and English-speaking, so travellers won’t have to worry about long journeys and language barriers. There are also lots of flights to choose from, with 22 routes currently being operated by Air Malta, British Airways, easyJet, Thomas Cook, Jet2.com and Ryanair.
Malta is a year-round destination offering over 300 days of sunshine per year. This means divers won’t need to worry about their excursions being thwarted by bad weather conditions.
Divers in Malta have a gigantic range of diving sites to choose from, many with wrecks. There are more than 100 in the Mediterranean ocean that surrounds the Maltese islands and twelve of these are protected wreck sites. They showcase the oldest Phoenician shipwreck in the central Med at 2,700 years old, WWI battleships and dozens of fallen aircrafts.
The Maltese archipelago consists of three islands – Malta, Gozo and Comino – all of which are relatively small. This means divers can visit multiple sites per day, especially if they hire a 4x4 to get around and explore the destination’s many shore-dive locations (more than any other island or mainland in the Med). Plus, it only takes 25 minutes to get from Malta to Gozo on the ferry.
The coral reefs, cave systems and wrecks surrounding the Maltese islands are enough to bring divers back year after year. Experienced divers have incredible diversity to keep them returning and the calm, warm waters offer perfect conditions for first-timers.
With more than 50 dive schools scattered over Malta and Gozo, the islands offer budding divers more than enough choice of classrooms. Children can take their Padi qualification from the age of 10 and BSAC from the age of 12, so Malta is a perfect choice for families wanting to learn how to dive.
With concerns for the ocean’s health growing globally, Malta is proud to market its efforts to preserve and protect its surrounding sea. The UCHU and Heritage Malta have come together to release a set of rules and regulations outlining how scuba diving must be conducted in the destination. This is designed to ensure dives are executed in a controlled and managed manner sure to preserve and protect the ocean’s coral reefs, cave systems and wrecks.
Go to malta-training.com to learn more.