The 13 Italy Scuba Diving Worth Getting Wet For

1.Polignano a Mare boat tour emotions, caves, diving and appetizers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,022 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42Our pick

Join Dorino Gite in Barca for a 90-minute cruise from San Vito, near Polignano a Mare. A skipper such as Christian, Nicholas, or Valerio guides you past Grotta Azzurra, Grotta Piana, and other coastal caves, with a swim stop, snorkel gear, music, and a simple Prosecco aperitivo. Groups are capped at 10 people.

“We loved this! The boat captain and crew were so fun, the water and caves were amazing, truly an incredible experience!”

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2.Catania: Gulf Scuba Diving Tour with Marine Biologist

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 212 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $82

Meet Andrea and the Etna and Sea Excursion team in Catania for a guided scuba experience around the Cyclopean Isles. After a safety lesson and equipment briefing, you’ll swim over lava formations, canyons, and sandy seabeds with a marine biologist pointing out octopus, bream, sponges, and other sea life. Beginners receive close support.

“It was like a dream came true! The guide was very good in explaining everything. They were always checking on us when underwater and felt always save. Amazing!!”

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3.Diving for patented divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 175 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $157

Meet the Blue Sea Diving Center in Mazzarò Bay for two guided underwater sessions near Taormina. You receive a safety briefing, equipment help, short boat rides, two 40 to 45 minute outings, and a one-hour break with snacks, coffee, tea, water, and biscuits. The group is limited to 10 people.

“Very professional dive team. They went the extra mile to make it easy and relaxing. Including carrying all the gear for you.”

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4.Diving for certified divers with PADI 5* Diving Resort – Taormina

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 167 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $181

Join Sea Spirit, a PADI 5-star resort, for two guided scuba sessions around Taormina’s Isola Bella Marine Park. You’ll meet at Hotel Naxos Beach at 8:00 am, travel by boat from Giardini Naxos, and enjoy gear, transfers, fruit, drinks, wine, and almond biscuits. Certified divers, try-scuba participants, and snorkelers can join the six-hour outing.

“I did 10 dives in early Sept with Sea Spirit instructors Filipi, Carmelo and Swann. Fantastic experience all round. Clear communication with Cilla from the office for planning my dives. Good equipment sanitized every day, clear routines and instructions on the boat and during dive briefings; yummy Sicilian snacks and epic soundtrack during the navigations. Felt safe prior to and during my dives with this crew. The guys from Sea Spirit are very experienced divers, very professional and supportive. They have the best knowledge about local dives sites, adapting to weather conditions fast and know where to find the best wildlife underwater. Any issues that arise they manage it gracefully…”

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5.TuffAlcantara – dives, slides and lots of fun in the Alcantara river

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 106 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $90

Meet at Via dei Mulini in Francavilla di Sicilia for a four-hour canyon adventure in the Alcantara River. Guides such as Michele, Mario, and Miguel lead you through pools, waterfalls, natural slides, climbs, and optional jumps. Wetsuits, helmets, life jackets, trekking shoes, and harnesses are provided. The group is limited to 15 people.

“The canyoning experience was incredible! Michele and Mario were fantastic guides, with briefings before each jump and slide and friendly banter along the way. Michele also took photos throughout and sent them after which provided a number of mementos of the experience. The experience is excellent value for money and we would highly recommend it!”

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6.Exciting PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience Isola Bella Marine Park Taormina

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $193

Start at Sea Spirit Diving Resort at UNAHOTEL Naxos Beach, learn scuba basics with PADI instructors, then take two guided descents near Isola Bella. The first reaches 6 meters, the second 12 meters. Between them, enjoy fruit, iced tea, water, and views of the island. Julien, Cilla, Chrissy, Swan, and other instructors may lead the session.

“The crew was very nice and professional - perfest for first doving experience. Isolla bella is a beautifull location that brought a lot of great memories”

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7.Sea Baptism Scuba Experience in Polignano a Mare

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $95

Meet the Holly Tour team at Lido Cala Paura for a gentle first scuba experience from the beach. Instructors such as Emilio, Carmen, Natalino, and Laury guide you through the equipment and underwater breathing at your own pace. Expect a small group, colorful sea life, souvenir photos, a certificate, and a local snack afterward.

“Beautiful scuba diving trip with one on one guideness. Good material, nice people! Highly recommended!”

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8.Napoli: Dive or Discover Scuba Diving in the Park of Baia

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 79 reviews · 3 - 4 hours · from $53

Try scuba without a license at Baia’s submerged Roman city, or choose the certified-diver option. Andrea, Camilla, Alessandro, and the team provide instruction, equipment, boat transport, and close support for a small group of up to four. Expect mosaics, marble floors, statues, fish, and a 45-minute underwater route.

“Amazing experience! Would highly recommend. Thank you Alessandro & team.”

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9.Try Scuba Diving and Underwater Roman Ruins in Baia from Naples

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 66 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $263

From Naples, learn scuba basics with a certified instructor before making two guided underwater visits around Baia’s Roman ruins. The small group is limited to four people, with equipment, park fees, and bottled water included. Statues are not guaranteed, so ask in advance if that site matters most to you.

“Our dive instructor was excellent and we had a wonderful time but we were very disappointed that we didn't get to see any underwater statues as they were in a different dive site. We enquired beforehand and were told we should have requested that site in advance but the ad for the dive experience did not mention this and deceptively gave the impression we would see everything pictured in the photos.”

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10.Discover Scuba diving in Villasimius

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $106

At Archeo Diving in Villasimius, you learn basic scuba skills with guides including Michael and Wendi, then spend about 30 minutes underwater in Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. The session reaches a maximum depth of 5 meters and suits beginners without an Open Water Diver qualification.

“Great experience to confirm that breathing under water is possible without the engagement of going through certification. Michael is a great master diver and very patient and passionate about diving. Wendi was very helpful as well.”

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11.Double dive in the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, for patents.

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $162

Spend about four hours on a small boat in Sardinia’s Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, with two guided scuba sessions near Isola dei Cavoli. Roberto, Patrizia, Alberto, and other SubAquaDive staff offer calm supervision, free nitrox for certified divers, snacks, drinks, and optional rental gear. Pickup is free within 5 km.

“WOW! What a wonderful dive operation Alberto runs. I have dived all over the world and this shop is the best!! Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, passionate and accommodating staff in the most spectacular marine park in Europe. I had the immense pleasure of diving and snorkelling with Subaquaservice for 4 days and it was beyond expectations. My daughter is 6 and had her first introduction to snorkelling here. She was completely looked after from start to finish and got to see a beautiful eco system. She is hooked and has been in the water all week since then. For my dives I had the pleasure of being guided by a local…”

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12.Scuba Diving in La Maddalena & Lavezzi Park for certified divers.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $120

Start at 8 a.m. from Pollo Diving in Porto Pollo for a three to five-hour underwater trip around La Maddalena, Lavezzi, or the Sardinian coast. PADI-certified instructors such as Stefano, Jessie, Thomas, Davide, and Ignacio lead small groups of up to 10. Bring certification details, and budget extra for equipment hire.

“Best diving experience in Sardinia with dives full of life!! Amazing opportunity to get memorable photos of the experience. Friendly multilingual international staff. The not so great things were the basic fin equipment (no boots) and no toilet or shower in the in the office diving facilities.”

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13.Diving baptism with cylinders (Introdive) at the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $97

You’ll learn basic scuba skills with a personal instructor, then make a first descent to about 5 meters in the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area. Pickup, equipment, water, and snacks are included. Guides named in guest feedback include Luana, Alberto, Giulia, Luca, and Tio.

“What a pleasure to discover Sardinia underwater and get back to the taste of diving.”

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