Best Places to Dive in Italy: A Guide for OWD Certified Divers
Portofino is excellent, but it's not your only option—and might not be your best choice. Here's where certified divers should dive in Italy, and how to choose based on your itinerary.
March 27, 20269 min readBy WeGoDive Team
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Best Places to Dive in Italy: A Guide for OWD Certified Divers
Portofino offers some of Italy's best diving — dramatic kelp forests, rocky walls, and exceptional visibility — but it's not the only option, and it might not be your best choice depending on where you're traveling and your experience level. If you have your Open Water certification, Italy has five solid diving regions: the Amalfi Coast (warmest water, most accessible), Liguria (technical walls, cold), Elba Island (shipwrecks, moderate challenge), Sardinia (pristine reefs, remote), and the North Adriatic (easiest conditions, best for newer divers).
For most OWD divers with a flexible itinerary, the Amalfi Coast is the smarter choice — you can reach operators within an hour of your coastal travels, the water hits 73°F in June (versus Portofino's 59°F), and most shops run family-friendly operations. Portofino shines if you specifically want advanced wreck and wall dives and can handle cold water and technical conditions.
Budget $100–$180 per dive, depending on the region and operator.
Is Portofino Really the Best Diving in Italy?
Portofino is excellent—it's considered the diving capital of mainland Italy for good reason. Cold water (52–61°F year-round) means pristine visibility (60–130+ feet), abundant marine life, and dramatic kelp forests. Most Portofino operators focus on wall dives, kelp dives, and wreck exploration at depths of 40–90 feet. If you want technical, challenging diving with stunning visuals, Portofino checks every box.
The catch: it's not beginner-friendly, and it's overkill if you're visiting as a secondary part of a larger Italy trip. Most Portofino operators cater to advanced divers doing multiple dives per day. A single day trip with younger divers on OWD might feel rushed or out of place. The operators are professional, but the culture is hard-core.
Bottom line: Portofino is worth one day trip if you have a full day free and want to commit to cold water and challenging conditions. Otherwise, skip it and focus on the regions that match your itinerary and comfort level.
Other Top Dive Regions in Italy (Beyond Portofino)
The Amalfi Coast (Salerno / Positano)
Best for: OWD divers, families, flexible itineraries.
Accessible dive sites within 30–45 minutes of Salerno or Positano. Water temps: 73°F in June, 82°F by September. Visibility: 40–80 feet. Marine life: groupers, barracuda, colorful reef fish. Difficulty: beginner to intermediate.
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ItalyDive destinationsOpen water diverFamily divingMediterranean
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Two solid operators: Blue Grotto Diving (Positano) and Diving Center Salerno. Both run morning and afternoon boat dives. Costs: $120–$150 per dive. Boats are smaller and often cater to families with varied experience levels.
Why this works for your trip: You're already in the Amalfi Coast. You don't need to detour. Dives are manageable, water is warm, and operators expect divers of varying ages and experience. You can book 1–2 dives and integrate them into your travel plans without friction.
Liguria (Portofino and Cinque Terre Coast)
Best for: Advanced OWD or AOW divers who want cold-water walls and wrecks.
This is Portofino's region. If you decide to dive here, base yourself for 1–2 days and do multiple dives. Single-dive logistics are awkward and frustrating.
Water temps: 59°F in June, 68°F by late summer. Visibility: 60–130 feet (outstanding). Difficulty: intermediate to advanced.
Wrecks include the Palinuro (a famous Italian liner at 40–100 feet) and several smaller wrecks from WWII. The kelp forests are worth the cold water if you like macro photography and kelp ecosystem dives.
Operators: Nervi Sub and CTS Diving School. Cost: $150–$180 per dive.
Why maybe skip it: Cold water is a barrier for younger divers unless they're very comfortable in 5–7mm wetsuits. A day trip from Cinque Terre is feasible (Portofino is 1 hour south), but you'd spend more time traveling than diving. Not worth the logistics unless you're committed to this region.
Elba Island (Tuscany)
Best for: OWD divers with 2–3 days to spare. Shipwrecks, moderate challenge, warmer water than Liguria.
Elba sits off the coast of Tuscany—famous for shipwrecks from WWII and earlier centuries. Multiple dive sites, many in the 30–60 foot range. Water temps: 72°F in June. Visibility: 50–100 feet.
Operators: Diving Center Elba and Immersion Diving. Cost: $100–$140 per dive.
Difficulty: beginner to intermediate. A good middle ground between the Amalfi Coast's easy dives and Portofino's technical walls. If you have 2–3 days available, Elba offers great wreck diving without the extreme cold or difficulty.
Why it works: If you have time to spend 2–3 days on Elba, it's worth the detour. Logistics are straightforward (ferry from Piombino), and the diving is fun without being cold or punishing.
Sardinia (Northeast Coast)
Best for: Advanced OWD / AOW divers with a full week to commit. Pristine reefs, dramatic seascapes, minimal crowds.
Clear water, abundant marine life, and uncrowded sites—but logistics are complex. You'd need to fly to Olbia and base yourself for several days. Best dives are 20+ minutes by boat from shore operators.
Water temps: 73°F in June, 82°F by late summer. Visibility: 60–130 feet. Difficulty: beginner to advanced (sites vary widely).
Cost: $120–$170 per dive. Liveaboard operators also available (€500–€700/day).
Why maybe skip it: You're already packed with land-based destinations. Sardinia is worth a dedicated dive trip, not a side activity. The travel time doesn't justify 1–2 dives.
North Adriatic (Slovenia, Croatia Border)
Best for: Beginner divers, OWD first-timers, families wanting easy access and warm water.
Warmest water in Italy (77°F by June), calmest conditions, easiest logistics. Most dives are shallow (30–50 feet) reefs and small wrecks. Visibility is lower than Mediterranean (30–50 feet typical) but reliable.
Operators: Dive Centers in Umag, Rovinj, and Poreč (Croatian side). Cost: $90–$130 per dive.
Difficulty: beginner. The trade-off: less dramatic visuals, but a more relaxed experience overall.
Why it's useful: If you want to get younger divers extra comfortable underwater before moving to colder or deeper sites, this is the spot. But it's not on your route through Italy.
How to Choose Based on Your Itinerary
You're visiting: Rome, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice.
Realistically, you can only dive at 1–2 locations:
Amalfi Coast (strongest choice). It's already on your list, the water is warmest (73°F in June), and operators are family-friendly. Book 1–2 dives while you're there. No logistics headache.
Cinque Terre / Liguria (optional add-on). Portofino is 1 hour south of Cinque Terre. If you have a full day free and want cold-water diving, detour there for 2–3 dives. Otherwise, skip it and dive where you're already staying.
Everywhere else (not practical). Rome, Florence, and Venice are inland or have poor diving logistics. There are dive operators on islands near Venice (Lagoon sites), but they're mostly shallow, murky, and not worth the effort. Don't plan to dive in Venice.
The honest take: The Amalfi Coast is your best bet. One day there, two to three dives, and you're done. The water is warm, the sites are pretty, and you won't feel rushed or out of place.
What to Expect: Water Temperature, Visibility, Marine Life
| Region | Water Temp (June) | Visibility | Marine Life | Difficulty |
|--------|------|------|------|------|
| Amalfi Coast | 73°F | 40–80 ft | Groupers, barracuda, reef fish | Beginner–Intermediate |
| North Adriatic | 77°F | 30–50 ft | Reef fish, small wrecks | Beginner |
June is still spring in the Mediterranean. The Amalfi Coast and Elba are warm enough for a 3mm wetsuit and some comfort. Portofino and Liguria require at least 5–7mm, and the cold can be a shock to the system for newer divers.
Red Flags: What to Avoid
Dive operators in major cities. Rome, Florence, and Venice all have "dive shops" that arrange dives on islands far away. These are booking agencies, not real operators. Long logistics, poor customer service, unpredictable schedules. Skip them entirely.
Single-dive bookings in Liguria. Portofino operators are geared toward multi-dive days. If you're only doing one dive, you'll feel like a tag-along. Either commit to 2–3 dives or choose another region.
Budget operators ($60–$80 per dive). Italy's cheapest shops cut corners on boat safety, instructor attention, and equipment maintenance. Spend the extra $30–$50 for a reputable, certified operator. PADI's dive shop locator will show certified shops only.
Diving in peak summer (July–August). June is ideal. July and August bring crowds, reduced visibility in some regions, and 2–3 week waits for bookings. You're timing it right—book early (by mid-May).
Expecting Caribbean-style reefs. Mediterranean diving is different—colder, less colorful, more macro-focused with kelp and rocky structures. Some divers are disappointed by the comparison to tropical diving. Go in with realistic expectations and appreciate what the Mediterranean actually offers.
Questions to Ask Before Booking an Operator
How many dives per day, and how long are they? (Should be 30–45 minutes per dive.)
What size is the group? (Smaller groups = better experience. Ask for max group size.)
Do you have family / younger diver experience? (Not all ops are comfortable with divers under 12.)
What's included? (Weights, BCD, tank, or bring your own?)
What sites will we dive? (Ask for specifics, not generic "scenic reefs.")
What's your cancellation policy if weather is bad? (Mediterranean can get choppy. Know the refund rules.)
Do you provide any orientation if we haven't dived in a while? (A good shop will offer a quick confined-water refresher.)
Bottom Line
Portofino is genuinely excellent diving—but it's not your best choice for this trip. The Amalfi Coast gives you warm water, family-friendly operators, and zero logistical headache. Spend 1–2 days there, do 2–3 dives, and enjoy your vacation.
If you have a full day free and want to experience Portofino's technical walls and kelp forests, do it. But don't make it your primary dive destination or force a detour that burns travel time.
Book early (by mid-May)—June is busy season, and the best shops fill up fast. The Amalfi Coast operators take online bookings, and Blue Grotto Diving and Diving Center Salerno are your safest bets for family-friendly service.
