Diving at any of the four best diving destinations in Europe is an experience unlike any other. Descending into the depths, beyond the world we know, you can explore a place where the distance is nothing but blue haze.
A world where sunlight doesn’t shine but rather glows and floats alongside you, and life takes unusual, unique and breathtaking forms. In this diving feature we explore what are arguably the best diving destinations in Europe.Â
Europe may not be well known for having the warmest, most forgiving of waters, but they are still rich with nutrients, life and history.
The Four Best Diving Destinations in Europe
On GloHoliday we are a big fan of diving and adventure style holidays. We most recently explored diving in Silfra, where divers can literally dive between two continents.
Now from wrecks to reefs, we look at four new must dive destinations from all around the European continent. Read on to discover the best diving destinations in Europe.
Corfu, Greece
Corfu may be well known for its party atmosphere, but it’s beneath the surface of its shimmering Mediterranean waters that things get really lively. There are wonders to be found all the way around the island’s coast. Find out even more about Corfu.
From incredible landscapes and wildlife to wrecks and even ancient relics. While there are countless spots to explore below the surface of Corfu’s crystal clear and warm waters, there are a few unmissable highlights.
The Nisopoulo Wreck, found just off the port-town of Kassiopi, features ancient amphora – clay pots – laying on the ocean floor, left behind after the wreck they sank in was slowly taken by the sea.
Diving in Corfu
[tubepress mode=”tag” tagValue=”shipwreck diving corfu” playerLocation=”popup” resultsPerPage=”2″]
On the opposite side of the island, off the shore of the picturesque village of Paleokastritsa, divers can experience another highlight of Corfu’s diving scene. Here, you can don your diving equipment on the beach and head out into the bay.
It is in the bay where you’ll find a rock wall delving to depths of around 30 meters, sheltering a wide variety of stunning wildlife. You’ll also find a number of dramatic rock formations, arches and caves scattered across the wall too. Corfu is surely among the best diving destinations in Europe.
Lofoten, Norway
Set in the southern reaches of the Arctic Ocean, the waters that surround the Lofoten Islands of Norway are teeming with life. A jaw-dropping location in their own right, the Lofoten Islands offer up striking and awe-inspiring scenery as a backdrop to your Arctic diving adventure.
Beneath the waves, Lofoten is just as magnificent, with the slow pace of the Arctic bringing to life giants of the deep. Large species of coral, other plants, fish, crustaceans and jellyfish all call the waters around Lofoten home, making for some truly spectacular diving experiences.
For the more daring amongst you, winter in Lofoten seas the arrival of the oceans most powerful predator, the killer whale. If spotted, divers are free to explore the water with these incredible fish-eating machines.
Normandy, France
One of the most fascinating dive sites in the world, the shores off the coast of Normandy in France offers divers a look into the destruction of the Second World War’s most memorable battle.
Image Credit : WrecksiteEU
Scattered along the sea floor you’ll find goliath destroyers such as the SS Empire Broadsword pictured above in better days. Dive among ships measuring over 350ft in length as well as troop transports, cruisers, tanks and more. Over 100 wrecks sit in the depths beyond Normandy beach, an incredible Normandy dive site to explore.
This Normandy dive is a beautiful, yet haunting view into the past, the dark and murky waters only adding to the mesmerising atmosphere of the location. Check out the video below of some divers exploring the SS Empire Broadsword, a British infantry carrier, to see what like diving in Normandy is really like. Easily one of the best diving locations in Europe.
Diving the SS Empire Broadsword
[tubepress mode=”tag” tagValue=”SS Empire Broadsword diving” playerLocation=”popup” resultsPerPage=”2″]
Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Out on the eastern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, Lanzarote sits in the Canary Island archipelago, and is the finest of the lot when it comes to diving.
An active volcanic island, the explosive power of Lanzarote has carved out some truly stunning landscapes over the years, both above and below the water’s surface. Just off the coast of the island, you’ll find deep rock walls, caves and trenches; striking, dramatic and teeming with life.
The nutrient rich waters of the archipelago attract creatures great and small, with the likes of barracuda and parrotfish joined by giant manta rays, dolphins and turtles as they skirt along the coral encrusted reefs that line the rock walls.
Lanzarote also features a number of harbour dive sites and wrecks. They are perhaps not as dramatic as those found in Normandy, but still worth exploring none-the-less.
Useful Diving Guides and Resources
Never get caught without your mask, snorkel and air tanks again with these great reads and resources for scuba divers.
Final Thought
These four diving locations represent some of the best diving destinations in Europe. Yes the waters maybe cold and at times murky an unforgiving. Yet experienced divers are ready for such challenges as they are to be expected in the colder waters of the European continent.
If underwater caves, ship wrecks and rugged subterranean terrain excite and intrigue then it is time to wax your wetsuit and head to any one of these exceptional dive spots. From Corfu to Lanzarote, absolutely some of the best diving destinations in Europe.
Â