Italy

The boot that projects into the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy boasts 7,600km of coastline. It is almost inevitable that along this coast there be underwater landscapes to delight divers of all levels and tastes. 

Surrounded by 4 seas of clear blue waters with more than 80 islands, the topography of the sea bed is as varied and dramatic as that on land with steep walls, sea mounds, volcanic features, caves and caverns. Sea life varies from region to region. The island of Elba offers divers the chance to see pelagic species such as Eagle rays, schools of Amber Jacks and the occasional Sunfish. The Pinnacle of Isuela or Secca Dell'Isuela is located off Liguria within a Marine Reserve and is home to Moray and Conger eels and covered in brightly coloured Gorgonian fans. 

Italy is steeped in history onshore with evidence of Greek and Roman Empires and the World Wars alongside a strong sense of culture, religion and tradition. This extends into the underwater world in the form of shipwrecks and marine archaeological sites. These include the Saint Lucia, a WWII wreck just off the coast of Rome with it's anchor and propellor still intact. 

Calabria, the region located at the toe of the boot where the Ionian meets the Tyrrhenian Sea, boasts more than 50 wrecks for divers to explore, some even dating back to Roman times. There are also underwater ruins remaining from ancient Greece surprisingly laying on the seabed, waiting to transport you to another era. 

Now you can explore these fascinating artefacts while diving with a PETER Diving System at Megale Hellas who not only know the dive sites of Calabria like the back of their hand but also arrange tours and courses to allow you to make the most of your time on land too. 

Calabria benefits from the warmest climate in Italy, with temperatures on land reaching between 30-40 degrees Celsius in the Summer and rarely dropping below 10 in the Winter, and the water temperature reaching 28 degrees in summer and maintaining a lovely 26 degrees through autumn until October. Visit our newest PETER Point and you may even meet the occasional sea turtle Caretta caretta.