The 7 best diving spots in Nice and its surroundings

Want to discover the underwater wonders of the Mediterranean? Put on a mask and regulator and discover the best diving spots in Nice!

Nice and its metropolis is a real paradise for diving enthusiasts. The spots are divided into 4 zones: Nice, Villefranche ouest and est and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. No less than 30 sites enamel the coast, between wrecks, caves and tombs. The particularity of the region is that the funds quickly sink to the great depths, allowing to dive from the edge or after short boat trips. All levels of divers will find their happiness, from baptism to level 3.

If all these places are nearby, sometimes sharing the same waters, their contents differ. So to help you make your choice, we present you the list of the best dive sites in Nice and its surroundings!

1. The virgin

The Virgin is an amazing dive site in Nice, located only 100 meters from the coast . This statue was immersed in 1968. She was sculpted by Alfred Gualtierotti and blessed by Bishop Jean Mousset, bishop of the diocese of Nice. It was then placed under water by the city’s fire-fighter divers, 12 metres deep on the site of the Nice dry.

Diving can be on the edge or from a boat. Long the dry on its face is until the falling down to 17 metres . You will fly over a sandy plateau south of which the virgin sits, hands joined in an attitude of devotion. The atmosphere is mystical, especially when the sun is at its zenith. The rays seem to focus on the statue, amplifying the magic of the moment. You can continue the scuba diving under the statue, with an impressive falling that seems to sink into the abyss. Also, Watch your computer not to let you train to the big funds!

Finally, around 35 metres , you will be able to observe sars, congress and murenas in the hollows of the rock. Then turn around to find the dry and your starting point.

2. Cap de Nice

The course includes several diving sites in Nice that are worth the detour. The most famous is undoubtedly the Gorgones valley. Reserved to the confirmed divers, she takes you between 35 and 45 meters of depth , on a beautiful wall with blue and red gorgones. There are benches of sars and castagnoles that veer around the divers, while the large solitary barracudas hunt them. This dive site in Nice gathers all the typical Mediterranean fauna. It is not uncommon to cross curious merous or saint-pierres...

If you come from Nice, know that you can dive on different drops located before the valley of the gorgones. Coco Beach is accessible to beginners and has a beautiful variety of fish between 9 and 20 meters . The cape of Nice is divided into two parallel parts. The first, to the west, descends 10 to 30 metres , which makes it accessible at all levels. It is especially beautiful in night diving, when the anemones unfold. The second part dives up to 60 meters. The two tombs house crabs, lobsters and multicolored nudibranches.

3. The three islets

Dive site in iconic Nice, the 3 islets are actually 5 large rocky potatoes laid on a background of 35 metres . They are invaded by large red gorgones, which stretch their lace in the crystalline blue of the Mediterranean. Sponges of all colors complete the table, giving the spot tropical diving airs. There are regular large chapons and saint-pierres.

Note: confirmed divers will be able to push to the cable site, part of the American drop.

4. Coral cave

This cave would have been inhabited in Paleolithic and is a diving near Nice playful for all levels. If you immerse yourself, don't try to sneak into the northern flaw, the narrowest. Good buoyancy is necessary to preserve the corals that pushed on the walls and ceiling of the cave.

Think to palm gently so as not to raise sediments and thus enjoy the colors that reveal themselves in the beam of your lamp. You will cross crabs, sea spiders and a variety of soft corals and tubular sponges. As you go up, pass over the cave to witness the spectacle of your bubbles which gradually escape from the rocks.

5. Large bay

Here is a dive around Nice that will delight the greatest number! The dive starts with a tray 2 to 9 metres , where divers are surrounded by fish. Saupes and mostelles fly over posidonia herbaria and coral-covered rocks. The confirmed divers will find their happiness along the grave that descends on the stairs up to 60 meters . Anfractuos form a true paradise for the murens and rascasses that come to find refuge there. On the way back, pass through the cave of the semaphore, a nice tunnel 9 meters deep.

6. Lido Cave

Here is another cave that was inhabited by the human, where archaeological excavations were conducted. It is one of the most famous diving sites in Nice and its surroundings, as it is easily accessible from the edge. The dive starts on a background 3 metres descending slightly up to 11 metres .

Then you just need to go along the grave to find the entrance of the cave to 25 metres . The exit is a little further, after the pillar. You will continue to dive along the wall, and you can observe a very rich fauna and flora. Neptune’s red and lace coral cling to the rock, offering a perfect habitat for hermit, octopus and muren

On the plateau, at the end of the dive, you evolve in the middle of the posidonia herbaria that wave at the rhythm of waves and currents.

7. The plane

There are few places in France where you can dive on a plane wreck, and this diving site near Nice is part of it! However, it will be necessary to be level 3 to access the carlingue at 46 meters. It was a rally plane that dragged an advertising banner when it crashed in 1983.

The carcass is broken down gradually, but you can observe the wings, wheels and cockpit. Anhias benches surround the wreck, and you may find lobsters and lobsters under the fuselage.