Earlier this year, the Maltese Islands were the recipients of a prestigious diving accolade. At the Boot Düsseldorf Dive Awards 2025, the islands’ diving infrastructure and varied diving opportunities impressed a panel of expert judges so much that Malta was named the “world’s best diving destination”. Today, we’ll be taking the plunge into seas averaging 18.4oC to discover some of Gozo’s caves, reefs, wrecks and delightful marine life.
BILLINGHURST CAVE & THE DOUBLE ARCH
Stretching almost 100 metres, Billinghurst Cave is one of the island’s longest caverns, which can be accessed from a ramp found just past the Xwejni salt pans. The cavern, whose sides are covered in colourful sponges and corallites, is quite dark, particularly at the very back, as not much sunlight penetrates it. The depth at which this cave is found together with its challenging access point, make this dive suitable only for very experienced divers.
Another advanced dive that starts some 300 metres off shore near Xwejni Bay is the Double Arch reef. This stunning geological formation is made of a smaller archway starting at 27 metres, with a larger archway extending to the seabed at 36 metres beneath it. Besides being a geological wonder, the Double Arch is known for its rich marine biodiversity, with amberjacks, barracudas, common octopuses, saddled bream and European parrotfish calling the seas around this reef their home.
If you’re more of a novice diver, then the Xwejni Bay dive is more suited to your diving level given its easy entry and exit points.
THE CATHEDRAL CAVE
Found at the Wied il-Għasri gorge, which is located to the west of Marsalforn, the Cathedral Cave dive site can be accessed both from shore and by boat. Access by boat is generally favoured over a shore dive, given that the shore is found at the end of some 100 uneven steps. Divers can either remain in shallow waters and swim to the Cathedral Cave, whose entrance is just five metres below the surface, or swim around large boulders at a depth of around 30 to 40 metres before reaching the cavern, for a more challenging dive.
The cavern, which is carpeted in hydroids, corals and sponges, is brighter in the afternoon when the lights streams in and makes for the most spectacular effects. Here, you may expect to encounter tuna, dentex, amberjacks and groupers, with seahorses making welcome occasional appearances too.
THE BLUE HOLE, CORAL GARDEN & AZURE REEF IN DWEJRA
An all-time favourite with more advanced divers is the Blue Hole in Dwejra. Located close to the western coast of Gozo, this site is accesible from shore via a rather long walk. The Blue Hole, which is a circular sinkhole, is around 15 metres deep and its walls are quite spectacular as they are carpeted with colourful sponges and other marine life.
Once out of the Blue Hole, you can turn left to reach the chimney – which can only be entered by one diver at a time – leading to the stunning Coral Garden (suitable for beginners) which, in turn, gives way to the Coral Cave (suitable for advanced divers). Getting its name from the fragile corals encrusting its walls, the Coral Cave can be accessed through an entrance starting at a depth of around 17 to 18 metres, which tumbles down to a sandy floor.
A right turn from the Blue Hole, will lead you to the relatively new Azure Reef (suitable for advanced divers), formed after the March 2017 collapse of the iconic Azure Window.
THE THREE WRECKS & HEPHAESTUS AT IX-XATT L-AĦMAR
Experienced divers who love to explore underwater wrecks can hit the jackpot here. Three wrecks – MV Karwela, MV Cominoland and MV Xlendi – are all accesible from shore at Ix-Xatt l-Aħmar, which lies on the south-eastern coast of Gozo.
MV Karwela, a former passenger ferry which was scuttled in 2006, is the most popular of the three wrecks, being closer to the shore and larger than Cominoland. Resting upright on the seabed around 80 metres from the start of the dive, Karwela has numerous entry and exit points which were made prior to scuttling to make the wreck as as safe as possible. One of the most photographed and iconic features of the Karwela is a staircase that leads to the lower deck at around 40 metres below sea level.
To the east of Karwela, lies MV Cominoland, which was used for trips around Comino and harbour cruises around the Valletta area in her heyday, before being scuttled in 2006 to form an artificial reef. This wreck is safe to penerate and offers good opportunities for exploration, with the sandy bed being home to a number of rays and gurnards.
Xlendi, a decomissioned Gozo Channel company ferry, became the first artificial reef structure in Gozo back in 1999 when it was scuttled. Unfortunately, it ended upside down and is not safe to penetrate. The rich marine life that swims the waters surrounding this wreck makes for an interesting dive nonetheless.
Not far off from these three wrecks, is a much newer wreck. Scuttled in 2022, the 60-metre tanker Hephaestus had run aground in Qawra in 2018 in one of the heaviest storms the islands have experienced in recent years.
Posted in Activity, Adventure, Diving, Sports, Things to do, What to see in Gozo
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