On March 8, 2017, the Azure Window of Gozo collapsed. If a stay page still shows it in a photo, it is outdated.
In short, the postcard is aging. So we have revised this ranking site by site, based on what Visit Malta, the official tourist office, Heritage Malta for protected wrecks, and diving fact sheets publish when the office remains silent.
For each site, you will find the indicative level, the maximum published depth, wind exposure, and type of supervision. The final sorting remains that of the local center, on the same day.
What are the 10 best diving sites in Malta, Gozo, and Comino?
The ten selected sites are Um El Faroud, the P29, the Rozi, the Ċirkewwa Arch, the HMS Maori, Għar Lapsi, and the Blenheim Bomber on the Malta side, then the Blue Hole and the Inland Sea in Gozo, and the Santa Maria caves in Comino. They cover three profiles: wrecks, drop-offs, and caves, from 10 m to over 40 m.
| Site | Island and access | Maximum published depth | Indicative level | Current and exposure | Recommended supervision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Um El Faroud | Malta, Wied iż-Żurrieq, shore entry | 36 m (main deck at 25 m) | Advanced, wreck training required to enter | Southwest coast, surface approach swim | Local guide |
| P29 | Malta, Ċirkewwa, shore entry | 34 to 36 m depending on sources | Advanced | Exposed northern point, exit via steps and ladders | Guide or qualified autonomous buddy |
| Rozi | Malta, Ċirkewwa, shore entry | 36 m | Advanced | Same sector as P29 | Guide or qualified autonomous buddy |
| Ċirkewwa Arch | Malta, shore entry | Drop-off from 8 to 30 m, max 36 m | Certified beginner to advanced depending on chosen depth | Exposed northern point | Guide for first time |
| HMS Maori | Malta, Valletta, shore entry | About 15 m | Certified beginner | Harbor: variable visibility, boat traffic | Guide and signal buoy |
| Għar Lapsi | Malta, south coast, shore entry | About 12 m for classic diving | Certified beginner | Cove, to be checked depending on the day’s wind | Often used for training |
| Blenheim Bomber | Malta, Xrobb l-Għaġin, by boat | 42 m | Experienced | Sometimes strong current | Boat trip from a center familiar with the site |
| Blue Hole | Gozo, Dwejra, shore entry | 26 m in the hole, up to 50 m around | Advanced | Exposed west coast, difficult rocky walk | Guide |
| Inland Sea | Gozo, Dwejra, shore entry | Bottom drops to about 60 m at tunnel exit | Advanced for tunnel exit | Tourist boats in the tunnel | Guide |
| Santa Maria Caves | Comino, by boat | About 10 m | Certified beginner | Shallow caves, light useful | Boat trip from a center |
The depths come from the official Visit Malta fact sheets when they exist, then from diving site databases or the DAN Europe Alert Diver magazine when the tourist office publishes nothing precise. These are general frameworks. A maximum depth describes the site, not your dive.
The current matters more than the photo.
Yet, even serious fact sheets, those from offices as well as clubs, contradict each other on basic figures. Visit Malta announces a 35 m tunnel at the Inland Sea, while other guides speak of 80 m. The Rozi was said to have been sunk in 1991 according to the office, in 1992 according to other records. These discrepancies do not change your dive. They only remind us that a figure copied from site to site, without date or source, eventually ends up being taken as an established fact.
Um El Faroud, P29, Rozi: which Malta wrecks for which level?
The three major shore wrecks, Um El Faroud, the P29, and the Rozi, lie between 34 and 36 m. Expected level: advanced or equivalent. The HMS Maori, around 15 m, remains the only historical wreck on this list open to a certified beginner.
Um El Faroud
This 115 m and 10,000-ton tanker was deliberately sunk in 1998, three years after the explosion that killed nine workers at the Maltese shipyard, and after a long wait in the port of Valletta. It rests upright on the sand southwest of Wied iż-Żurrieq. According to Visit Malta, the top of the bridge is at 18 m, the main deck at 25 m, and the bottom at 36 m. A storm broke it in two during the winter of 2005, according to Alert Diver (DAN Europe, 2018). The office reserves the interior visit for divers trained in wreck penetration.
P29 and Rozi
The P29 is a minesweeper built in East Germany, purchased by Malta in 1997 and sunk at Ċirkewwa in August 2007. The Rozi, a 40 m tugboat, has been waiting there since the early 1990s. Both are dived from the shore.
HMS Maori
This destroyer was hit in its engine room on February 12, 1942, during an air raid, while anchored in the harbor. Its remains lie around 15 m in St Elmo Bay, under the fort. But the visibility in the harbor varies greatly.
Small motorboats enter and leave the harbor during your dive, hence the signal buoy that the guide will ask you to tow.
How deep to go on the Blenheim Bomber and Heritage Malta wrecks?
The Blenheim Bomber rests at 42 m off Xrobb l-Għaġin, according to Alert Diver (DAN Europe, 2016). Site sheets reserve it for experienced divers. The wrecks monitored by the underwater heritage unit of Heritage Malta descend from 55 to 115 m and require technical diving.
This British bomber landed in the sea on December 13, 1941, its engine damaged during an aerial combat. The crew survived. Site bases report sometimes strong currents and access only by boat. Divers have also described a significantly degraded wreck between 2020 and 2021, so much so that the photo from ten years ago shows a plane that no longer really exists in that form. Visit Malta classifies the area among its wreck conservation zones.
Heritage Malta wrecks form another category.
Thus, the Fairey Swordfish lies at 70 m, the HMS Southwold between 65 and 69 m, the HMS Olympus at 115 m. Tickets go through a list of approved centers, which also accompany the divers. At these depths, we talk about trimix diving and its limits, with long decompression stops and several tanks. If the historic wreck tempts you without going technical, the Red Sea wrecks in Egypt offer other options.
Blue Hole, Inland Sea, Santa Maria: what to dive at Gozo and Comino?
The Blue Hole and the Inland Sea, at Dwejra on the west coast of Gozo, remain diveable despite the collapse of the Azure Window in 2017. Its blocks now form a reef at the foot of the cliff. The Santa Maria caves, at Comino, offer the gentlest option in the archipelago, around 10 m, by boat.
At the Blue Hole, access is by a fairly difficult walk on rough limestone rock, then by carved steps. The hole is about ten meters wide. It descends to 26 m and opens to the open sea through a large arch. The Chimney is approached one diver at a time, through a crack that opens at 8 m. Around, Visit Malta indicates depths up to 50 m.
But the Inland Sea plays on a sharp contrast. The lagoon is shallow, then the tunnel opens onto a bottom that drops suddenly, with 60 m nearby according to Visit Malta, which specifies that the clear water and depth can be deceptive. Good visibility protects from nothing.
Also consider the small boats that take tourists through the tunnel, and stay close to the walls if you have to ascend.
At Comino, the Santa Maria caves remain shallow and are connected by boat. It is also the island of the Blue Lagoon, making it a possible outing for a group mixing divers and fans of snorkeling. In the cavities, sponges and sessile organisms cover the rock, and it is best never to touch marine life. The double arch and Reqqa Point, whose walls exceed 45 m (an opinion assumed: they confuse the reading of a first stay), have been removed from this top.
Ċirkewwa and Għar Lapsi: where to start or resume diving in Malta?
To start or resume after a long break, Għar Lapsi and the arch of Ċirkewwa are the simplest entries on the Malta side. Visit Malta cites Għar Lapsi as a shallow dive, around 12 m. Ċirkewwa offers a drop-off from 8 to 30 m, so a depth you set with your guide.
At Ċirkewwa, the office describes an arch, several caves, and a cavity pierced from above that forms a rock bridge. The site also serves as a base for the P29 and the Rozi.
And the entrance counts less than the exit. On March 26, 2024, a Dutch diver died and 17 others were rescued at Ċirkewwa, at the Rozi site, according to DIVE Magazine. The wind was blowing at force 6, with stronger gusts, and the sea prevented exiting via the steps. A yellow alert had been issued around 1 p.m. A judicial investigation has been opened.
The fallback plan is therefore decided on land, before entering the water, when you can still choose another site.
Visit Malta, for example, recommends Anchor Bay as a suitable site for strong northeast winds. Ask the center which site they keep in reserve depending on the wind. Then on which scale you will exit.
Which season and supervision to choose for diving in Malta?
Maltese centers fall under the regulations on recreational diving services (SL 409.13, 2010), overseen by the Malta Tourism Authority. Visit Malta states that a medical declaration is required, that an Advanced Open Water level or equivalent is needed to dive without a guide, and that a buddy is mandatory.
Regarding the season, the office places the peak bathing season until mid or late October, with mild winters interrupted by cold spells coming from the north and northeast. Visibility is considered excellent up to about 30 m. For water temperature, it is impossible to decide here without dated measurements.
However, the previous version of this article announced 21 to 23 °C in summer without source, and visibility “often greater than 30 m.” No date either. The first figure was removed and the second adjusted to what the office publishes. Ask the center for the temperature of the week, then choose the thickness of your wetsuit accordingly. And if you are still unsure about the island itself, our Malta or Cyprus comparison covers other travel criteria.
There remains the calculation of the stay. Booking a boat trip to Blenheim in advance without the level or experience for the depth means paying for a dive that the center will replace, at best, with another. A buffer day in the program costs a hotel night. It gives you the choice of site when the wind changes.
Would you book it like that?
FAQ
Can you still dive the Azure Window in Gozo?
The arch collapsed on March 8, 2017. Its blocks rest at the foot of Dwejra and form a site that centers often call Azure Reef. The nearby Blue Hole remains diveable, with an advanced level recommended.
What level is required to dive Um El Faroud?
The bottom is at 36 m and the main bridge at 25 m, according to Visit Malta. An advanced level or equivalent is the usual minimum, and the office reserves the interior visit for divers trained in wreck diving. The center decides on site according to your logbook and conditions.
Can you dive without a guide in Malta?
According to Visit Malta, an Advanced Open Water level or equivalent, a medical declaration, and a buddy are required. A guide is still recommended on deep wrecks and as soon as the wind picks up.
What is the best period to dive in Malta?
Visit Malta places the peak bathing season until mid or late October. Winter remains possible but windier and cooler. For water temperature, rely on the center’s reading the week of your departure.
Sources
- Dive Sites (Visit Malta, 2026)
- Heritage Malta Historic Wreck Sites (Visit Malta and Heritage Malta, 2026)
