Suggestions for Southern France or Western Italy?

[Fish in a Barrel]

This summer I will be in Europe, starting in South Western Germany. It has been suggested that we might head down to the Mediterranean to do some diving. That sounds great to me, except I don't know anything about what diving is like in that region!

Are there some good diving locations that you guys would recommend for the general area of Southern France or Western Italy? The trip is in the very early stages of planning, so I'm wide open to suggestions.

 

[hg frogman]

In summer, water temperature in the French Mediterranean Sea is about 23-24°C in the shallows and about 15-16°C below the thermocline, which is often around 20-25 meters in summer. Visibility in the sea around Marseille is usually 20 to 30+ meters.

Access to Marseille (second city in France) from the north (Paris etc) is straightforward by fast train ("TGV") or by highway ("l'autoroute du soleil").

The small islands close to Marseille (Frioul, Riou, Planier, etc) have some of the best diving in France, with wrecks, drops-offs, underwater arches, caverns ... red coral, gorgonians ... And the Calanques massif neighboring Marseille, with its white limestone cliffs overhanging the sea, is a wonderful place where to hike, climb, bathe, or just enjoy the sun (access to the Calanques is nevertheless limited in summer to prevent forest fires).

Main drawback of Marseille is the north wind (the "Mistral") that really cools the water for a while (could be 15-16°C then in the whole water column for a few days after a long spell of Mistral, before the shallow water warms up again). But this is rarer in summer.

There are many dive centers there, e.g. L'Atelier de la Mer, or Espace Beuchat, at the Pointe Rouge Harbor (Marseille). They can help you to find an accommodation, of which there is no shortage (there are also youth hostels, e.g. l'Auberge de Jeunesse de Bonneveine, close to the Pointe Rouge Harbor & dive centers)

 

[Satyre]

France can be an amazing spot with a lot of variety depending on your level and certification.
Many nice dives (wrecks) are decompression dives so the main question would be how much familiar and confident are you?
Best regards
JL

 

[Boa Gialla]

Are there some good diving locations that you guys would recommend for the general area of Southern France or Western Italy? The trip is in the very early stages of planning, so I'm wide open to suggestions.

There are so many locations that should be better to give some information about your skill and preferences.

Do you like dives in shallow or deep water? No deco? Wrecks? Caves? Warm water? And so on.

Just talking about Italy, there are many many locations to choose in sicily, or sardinia, or liguria, or tuscany, or campania, or calabria, or many other small islands.

Ciao.
A.

 

[DuboisP]

depending the date, i will be in southern France this summer

funny, i was in St-Louis in may-june 2010 and i dived Bonneterre.
maybe are we working for the same company ?

 

[Fish in a Barrel]

Thanks for all the information, guys. Unfortunately it looks like this trip will not include a stop by the Med. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get there eventually.