Top 4 Best Places for Diving in Albania
Albania is a small country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, featuring Adriatic and Ionian coastlines and an interior dominated by the Albanian ... read more...Alps. The country features numerous castles, two UNESCO-protected cities (Berat and Gjirokaster), and numerous archaeological monuments, one of which is protected by UNESCO (Butrint). The National History Museum, which has exhibits spanning antiquity through post-communism, and the frescoed Et'hem Bey Mosque are both located in Tirana's huge Skanderbeg Square. Below, Toplist has compiled for you a list of the best places for diving in Albania.
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Sazan Island is a one-of-a-kind location, a former "military island" that was restricted to the public for decades. This is an amazing blend of pristine nature and rusted military remnants from the past! The next European summer vacation hotspot might be a mysterious military island with secret bunkers and tunnels intended to withstand a nuclear attack. Even though Sazan Island, off the coast of Albania, has a beautiful shoreline, it remains a mystery to most Albanians.
You will see a diverse underwater ecology with limestone cliffs, massive caves, and isolated beaches, as well as historic seafarer inscriptions on the shore. Coralligenous populations and other fragile marine ecosystems are the zone's ultimate draw. Some of the most endangered and commercially valuable species, such as red coral, can be found on coralligenous outcrops. Coralligenous is regarded as one of the most appealing seascapes for scuba diving in the world due to its diversity.
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The next one on this list of the best places for diving in Albania is Karaburun Peninsula. In recent years, Karaburun has gained a reputation for its diving locations, which are approved by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 5,000 divers were trained at 14 dive sites across the district in 2019, and the underwater wonders of Karaburun were uncovered.
Aside from underwater life, the region, which also has the wreckage of the Eylül and Alaybey ships, which served in the Zmir Gulf for many years, provides wonderful moments for those who want to explore underwater.
With the normalization phase, the region, which had begun to service tourism and diving facilities, became one of the most popular destinations for divers and vacationers.
Divers can see sea creatures such as groupers, aria, tuna, sea bream, barracuda, moray, sea bugs, and octopus while diving in Karaburun, which is known for its clean sea and beaches. You would get the opportunity to witness a variety of fish you had never seen before. Shipwrecks are also essential for undersea life. -
Want to stay close to the city while still having fun? Vlora Bay has a wide range of diving opportunities. Explore this lovely slice of heaven securely, where the two seas (Ionian and Adriatic) meet. Along Vlora Bay, there are lots of underwater treasures to be discovered, and by treasures, or also are called wrecks.
There are more than four major wrecks in this harbor alone, including the renowned "Po Shipwreck," an Italian hospital ship from WWII that sank here in 1941 (18 m long and 36 m underwater). Other well-known shipwrecks include the Piroscafo Luciano, Andromeda, and Intrepido. Beginner divers will enjoy the shallow wrecks at Vlora Bay. Other things to see include the abundant coral and marine life in the vicinity, as well as historic WWI and WWII antiques. Following your dive, you may easily return to enjoying the area's onshore activities. Keep reading to discover more about some of the best places for diving in Albania.
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The final site on this list of the best places for diving in Albania is Viroit Cave. Viroit Cave is located near Gjirokaster's old town. The water was perfectly clear, with at least 40 meters of visibility. The sun's rays penetrated the water's smooth surface and reached the lake's bottom at a depth of 30 meters. The cave's entrance is around 30 meters deep, but it quickly becomes clear that the current is too strong to enter without a guiding. With its swathes of foliage and strange rock formations, the dive site is truly amazing.
The underwater photographer will love Viroit Cave, which is built out like a photo studio. It would be preferable if there was no wind, allowing the sun's rays to readily penetrate the water's surface. You can explore parts of the deep shaft's side passages during successive dives. There is an air space in a section of the vertical shaft that slopes upwards.
The stream inside the cave was very light, allowing you to comfortably swim around. The cave's visibility is constantly ideal due to the continual flow. Disturbed plants floated around in the water column for a long time. Viroit Cave is a must-see attraction. Albania will undoubtedly become one of Europe's top diving destinations in the next years!