From the moment you set foot in Malta, the island promises a colourful tapestry of rich cultural heritage that extends not only to treasures on land, but even beneath the waves.

With sparkling waters teeming with wildlife and a wealth of historic wrecks to explore, Malta was named the world’s best scuba diving destination for 2025 by the boot Düsseldorf Dive Awards in January.

The stunning seabed has long drawn visitors to dip in and explore, and as Malta’s robust diving and safety infrastructure continues to expand, it’s no surprise that divers around the world have recognised the island as one of the best destinations for the sport.

With a variety of dive sites catering to different skill levels, Malta is sure to offer an adventure to satisfy any diver’s thirst for exploration.

One such site is the Um El Faroud, a former tanker rendered unseaworthy by a 1995 gas explosion. Scuttled just a short swim off the coast of Wied iż-Żurrieq, it now sits upright on the seafloor just 20 metres below the surface, serving as a new home to colonies of triggerfish and sea urchins that now man its decks.

For a connection to Malta’s history as a strategic naval base, the HMS Maori in Valletta is also growing in popularity as a dive site.

Commissioned in 1938, the vessel was designed to escort convoys, but as conflict ramped up during the war, it found itself chasing the German battleship Bismarck in 1941.

A direct hit from an aircraft ended the Maori’s career as a destroyer in 1942, but the ship’s fore, scuttled just beneath St Elmo’s bastion in Valletta, has spent 80 years evolving into an exciting marine habitat brimming with wildlife.

If you’re looking to make friends on top of enjoying a memorable dive, you can’t go wrong with a trip to the MV Rożi – arguably Malta’s most popular dive site.

Once a humble 35-metre tugboat, its location at Ċirkewwa Marine Park makes it a favourite among both visitors and locals, thanks to the site’s suitability for divers of all experience levels.

And if you’re not able to visit any of these sites yourself, you can still dive in vicariously through Submerged World, an ongoing six-part documentary series produced by the Malta Airport Foundation.

Hosted on the Malta Airport YouTube channel, the series has already featured the Um El Faroud, the Maori and the Rożi, with upcoming episodes set to explore the wrecks of the MV Cominoland, the Imperial Eagle and the Patrol Boat P31. 

This article first appeared on Guide Me 2025.