There are around 50 dive sites accessible from the shore and boat, across Gozo and Comino. The water clarity and stable conditions make the island ideal for learners and inexperienced divers, whilst the arches, tunnels and caves will delight the most experienced diver looking for an alternative to coral reefs, on more challenging dives. Most of Gozo’s dive sites are between a 5 and 20 minutes drive or boat ride away. Boats are usually used to access the sites below cliff drop offs, the local wrecks, and sites on Comino.
Explore Gozo's top 12 diving sites
Explore Malta, Gozo and Comino's dive sites
Read more about visiting and diving the Maltese Islands
The Blue Hole
A natural rock formation carved out over the centuries by wind and wave power. Offering a sheltered entry for a number of dives, this site includes a huge archway which starts at 8 metres and has a flat top, almost square in shape, and covered in golden cup coral. A large cave also worth exploring can be found at the bottom of the hole, where sea horses may sometimes be found.
Cathedral Cave
Best explored by boat, the shallows are home to damselfish and seahorses can occasionally be seen, well camouflaged among the spiky algae. The best part of this dive, however, is the cave itself. The entrance is only 5m below the surface and leads you through to a huge domed vault, where you can surface.
Zurziep Reef
This dive is best done in the afternoon by boat, with the light from the west. This area is rarely fished and shoals of bream are found here as well as large numbers of amberjacks, parrotfish, wrasse, damselfish and sand smelt. There are plenty of shallow caves which host cardinalfish and various species of anemone.
Xlendi Bay Tunnel
Located very close to St. Andrew’s Divers, the cave is popular at night as it is a nice easy dive in shallow water - it is also popular with less experienced divers, and is for many their first adventure in a cave. The cave walls are brilliantly coloured with golden zoanthids, red starfish and sponges, and green and purple algae, and plenty of bristle worms. Pink flabellina and Hervia are also common. During the winter months a small school of juvenile barracuda may seek shelter at the entrance of the cave.
Local regulations
Medical - Note that Maltese regulations require an up-to-date medical, should you mark any conditions on the dive medical self-assessment questionnaire.
Unguided dives - Those wishing to dive independently of a dive centre guide must be a minimum of PADI Advanced Open Water or CMAS 2* or equivalent. The dive centre’s discretion remains.
Visiting dive leaders / instructors - A local permit is no longer required to take your own divers or students, but the dive centre may be required to check your credentials and provide you with a recognised photo ID.
St Andrew's Divers Cove
Sitting on the sea front of the small fishing village of Xlendi, St. Andrew's dive shop has been in operation since 1989. Offering a range of shore and boat dives, for guided or independent divers, they have built a reputation as a small, friendly and professional service provider.
A range of shore diving packages, self-drive dive packages and boat dives can be arranged. Dependant on your dive qualification and experience, many divers opt for the independent diving option, without a local guide. PADI and CMAS dive courses can be booked.
St. Andrew's Divers Cove own two boats - the fast boat, taking up to 22 divers can be moored at Xlendi or Mgarr dependant on wind and tide and typically returns to base between dives. Their second, larger vessel is based in Mgarr harbour and has the space and facilities to offer longer, 2-tank dive trips. They also run a shop for any bits of dive kit you may require.
The dive centre have DIN fitting valves. Adaptors are available. The centre offer a wide range of tank sizes from 7 to 18 litre steel tanks.
Explore Gozo's top 12 diving sites
Dive Pack Prices
Options available include 6, 10 and 12 dive packages with guide, plus an unguided option. Divers must be qualified to CMAS 2* / PADI Advanced Open Water / BSAC Sports Diver or equivalent. Divers must dive with a buddy.
Please discuss your requirements with the Regaldive team, who will prepare a quotation suited to your needs.
Dive Courses
A range of diving courses is available for those looking to learn to dive. Please enquire for details.
Extras in Resort
Prices listed below are an indication only, and subject to change.
- Boat dives - Single dive: €15
- Boat dives - Full day: Please ask for details locally.
- Night dive: €6
- Nitrox to 40%: €5
- Nitrox over 40%: €10
Equipment rental:
- Full equipment excluding dive computer: €10 per dive or €15 per day
- Regulators: €6 per dive / €9 per day
- BCD: €5 per dive / €7.50 per day
- Dive computer: €7 per dive / €10 per day
Getting Around
On arrival in Malta, you will be met and transferred to the port. The ferries are regular, and the crossing to Gozo takes about 25 minutes.
Gozo is a very small island and easy to get around. There is a bus service which costs under €1, and the longest bus journey is 50 minutes. Alternatively, hire a small car locally to cover the island easily in one day. They drive on the left in Gozo.
Car Hire (Available to pre-book)
Car Group*
|
Sample Car
|
Approximate prices per 24 hours
|
|
|
to 31 March
|
1 April to 30 June
|
1 July to 30 Sept
|
1 Oct to 31 Nov
|
B
|
Peugeot 106 / Mazda Demio
|
£20
|
£25.25
|
£29
|
£25.25
|
C
|
Fiesta / Daewoo
|
£22.60
|
£28
|
£31.50
|
£28
|
D
|
Mini Bus
|
£24.50
|
£30
|
£38.50
|
£30
|
E
|
Maruti Jeep (Open)
|
£28
|
£31.50
|
£39
|
£31.50
|
* Note Group A, A+ , F and I cars are not permitted for divers.
Driving Licence and credit card required on collection. All drivers must be over the age of 25.
All cars supplied with €12 - €15 fuel (non-refundable).
Optional Supplements per day:
- Collission Damage Waiver: €6
- Theft & Damage Waiver: €6
- Personal Accident Insurance: €6
- Extra Driver: €4
- Baby seat: €3.50 (please provide advance notice)
Climate, water temperature and visibility
Average water temperatures:-
- January - March: 14 - 15°C
- April - June: 16 - 20°C
- June - July: 21 - 24°C
- July - October: 25 - 22°C
- October - December: 22 - 16°C
Average air temperatures:-
- January - March: 9 - 16°C
- April - June: 11 - 25°C
- June - July: 18 - 30°C
- July - October: 22 - 25°C
- October - December: 24 -12°C
Water visibility:
Gozo is renowned for its clear underwater visibility. During late Spring, Summer and Autumn, visibility can easily reach 30+ metres.
Time
GMT +1 hour
Currency
€ - Euros. Banks are normally open until early afternoon from Monday to Friday, and until midday on Saturday. Summer and winter opening hours may differ. Credit cards widely accepted. ATM's are widely available.
Flight Information
Flights are generally with Air Malta but Regaldive can also offer Easyjet, BA or charter flights.
Air Malta offer London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester departures.
Flight duration: UK to Malta International Airport (Luga), Malta: 3 - 3½ hours
Departure tax: N/A
Passports & Visas
Passengers travelling to Malta should have minimum six months valid on their passport from the date of return to the UK. Visas are not required for UK citizens.
Vaccinations
There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Malta, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio for anyone. Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure with your GP or local travel clinic.
Further information regarding vaccinations for travel can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider.
Hotel San Andrea
Great help and info from Regaldive
"Hotel accommodation was very nice and St Andrews Cove dive centre very well kitted out with excellent guides and staff."
Barbara
Hotel San Andrea
Gozo Holiday
"Great hotel, ideally located for the dive school. Good support and instruction from the dive school, we always felt safe and well looked after. There was the opportunity to fit in more dives after completing our PADI open water certification."
Helen G
St. Patrick's Hotel
A Beautiful Place To Stay
"The holiday was fantastic, loved everything about it. Gozo is beautiful, a bit quieter than Malta which suited us.
Xlendi is a beautiful place to stay. It's reasonably quiet but with lots of restaurants, all with beautiful views. St Patrick's hotel is lovely. Getting around Gozo is not so easy, especially with the limited time available after diving - hiring a car would have been beneficial.
The dive centre was great, really well-organised and the kit seemed good quality. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly.
There were lots and lots of places to dive (and our dive guide has literally written the book on them, copies available at the dive centre!). Our favourite memory is probably diving at Djewra, through arches and underwater tunnels and down a chimney.
We were happy with the sights we saw, but obviously we have only dived in Malta and Gozo so have nothing else to compare it to. The water was beautifully clear.
We would definitely book with Regaldive again."
Lee and Kylie D
- London
Hotel San Andrea
The Best Diving Holiday We Have Had in Years!!!
"Firstly, Thank you, Thank you for organising what was the best diving holiday we have had in years!!!. There was not one bit of it that we did not enjoy.
Joe and Diana at St Andrews Divers in Xlendi, Gozo were lovely. The diving, OMG, talk about pushing the comfort zone, I have not done enough of that sort of diving, 'Dramatic' is the word we used a lot to describe it. My other half Nick was in his element and is a Rescue Diver, I was initially quite apprehensive but our dive leader, Arianne, was fantastic.
We were just blown away by the dive sites, incredible, not a huge amount of life like Egypt, but the visability (25m+) and stunning underwater world, WOW. I am so chuffed with myself that I dived comfortably around 20-25m with a 90m drop underneath me and didn't panic, just absorbed what I was looking at. Joe and Diana both said there is no reason why I should not do my Advanced Open Water, and Arianne couldn't understand why I have left it so long. (Comfort zone thing again!!). One of the instructors said when we come back next year, if I haven't done it, he will make me do it!!
The taxi drivers are so friendly, they were prompt and very helpful, some of them were ex-divers and were pleased we had discovered Gozo.
The Hotel was fantastic, very friendly. We definitely had the best room in the Hotel (Rm 403, please can we have it next year, pleeease) I think the side rooms are better. The sea view, all very nice too, but the little promenade underneath can still be busy well into the early hours of the morning. The temp every day was late 30's some days reaching past 40 degrees. (Standing in full dive gear, I wear full length too, was interesting to say the least). I see on the TV today that the area is now enduring record breaking temperatures.
Worth mentioning to your customers that some of the shore dives involve a walk to the entrance point, often over Mountain Goat territory, no problem for us, but in full kit in 40 degrees might be a problem for some. We relished it and it meant we could overload on the fantastic pasta dishes in the restaurants at night!!.
Yes we will definitely be diving with you again next year, in fact we have a few other places we would like to go too. We have rediscovered the Med, have not been for 15 years.
Thanks again for getting us doing some real diving, looking forward to speaking to you soon."
Helen Gilchrest
- UK
St. Patrick's Hotel
Great Trip & Dive Centre Instructors Were Superb
"A great trip, thank you. It was pretty perfect! Transfers were easy, although I didn't realise I was supposed to pick up the ferry ticket from the dive centre, so just paid when we got there. The hotel view was spectacular and lovely staff, food etc. Whilst I was away, I needed to see a doctor, the hotel were brilliant and organised taxis for me.
The dive centre was really well organised and right round the corner. We booked in times for the dives and had a really small group with two instructors. Our Dive Centre instructors were superb, we felt really safe and confident with them. A favourite memory from the holiday was the last dive and watching my kids swim ahead of me clearly loving it. We went through a short cave and saw the blue water as we emerged... just beautiful!
"
Vicky Thorn
- UK
Hotel San Andrea
Excellent Food, Service and Dive Guide!
"We were pleasantly surprised with Gozo – excellent food, service etc. and dive guides, including an Egyptian guide Musti Mohamed. I re-familiarised myself with swim-throughs and caves and had one or two ‘interesting’ exits up the ladders set into the cliffs."
Jenny Wood
- UK
Hotel San Andrea
Outstanding holiday in Gozo
"We had a great experience in Gozo. The transfer, the hotel and the dive team were outstanding.
Once we landed, the people met us on time and were friendly and helpful. The hotel was also very friendly and perfectly situated. The dive shop being over the road was perfect, and they were also very organised and accommodating; we could choose the dive guide and the dive sites to suit our requirements.
You also gave us a perfect week of weather - ha ha! We are now thinking of returning at the end of the season for another break. Thanks for all your help in making this trip a success."
Wendy W
- UK
St. Patrick's Hotel
Gozo holiday
"I have been extolling your virtues to the various people we have met on holiday and friends since.
Thank you for arranging the holiday. The flight details etc were all as you had set out, the taxi arrangements were spot on time, comfortable, and the drivers polite and informative. The St. Patrick's Hotel was good, comfortable, clean and the food was very good. St Andrews Diving was friendly, very capable and very helpful. The three dive sites were very interesting, albeit sites were restricted to the south due to the weather, a northerly causing swell to north, west and east coasts. St Andrews also took Jill out to the dive sites, there being space to do so, which worked very well as she was a non diver. All in all, excellent! Thank you for arranging it for us."
Geoff D
- UK
Self-Catering Apartments
Gozo - would definitely recommend!
"We had a fantastic time in Gozo.
Self catering apartment was great, amazing location just above the dive school complete with a terrace and sea view! Transfers were very smooth, with everything running like clockwork. The staff at St Andrew's were excellent, very friendly and down to earth.
I was quite nervous about diving for the first time but our instructor, Danjel was calm, patient and a lot of fun and so we had a great 4 days completing our PADI Open Water course. Xlendi has some great diving for beginners with plenty of marine life and nice reefs to explore. Local swimming is also a must, along with a visit to many of the local restaurants.
We would definitely recommend a trip to Gozo and we would love to go back again."
Kate Guest
- Edinburgh
Self-Catering Apartments
Gozo - Worth Visiting - TWICE!!
"The transfers both to and from the airport went smoothly; the apartment was clean and part-stocked with coffee!
The Dive-Centre was very friendly and informal and proved flexible in allowing a degree of choice in what dives you could choose to go on :-)
The waters were clearer and with more life than southern Crete or the waters off San Diego or Cabo San Luca in the Sea of Cortez;
All in all a destination worth visiting - TWICE!!"
alan stevenson
- southend-on-sea, UK