50+ of the Best Places in the World to Scuba Dive
Below, we’ve rounded up the best places to dive based on what you’re looking to see, whether that’s sharks, shipwrecks, or some of the world’s tiniest rare creatures. This isn’t an exhaustive list, of course, but it’s filled with a lifetime of diving locations to think about as you’re planning a dive trip. Some destinations are highly seasonal (you can only dive Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines during a four-month window, for example) so you may have to plan fairly far in advance — especially if you’re hoping to book a room on a liveaboard.
For each destination, you’ll find our recommendations of the best dive resorts or places to stay, great operators and dive shops to use, and a few of the can’t-miss sites divers love the most. Some are tried-and-true dive destinations, while others are some of the world’s up-and-coming dive destinations you’ll want to explore before they get too popular.
If you’re just looking to find of the quirkiest, weirdest, and most unique places to dive in the world, keep scrolling. Even if you’d never do it, it’s fascinating to know there’s a place where you can scuba dive with anacondas, or explore submerged caves beneath a major European city.
Happy diving!
— Suzie Dundas, commissioning editor
What’s your diving style?
Shore diving offers some of the most accessible (and underrated) diving experiences in the world. Unlike boat diving, which can require early mornings, travel time, and set schedules, many of the best shore diving destinations let you explore the underwater world on your own schedule — sometimes, straight from your dive resort’s house reef. Here’s where to go.
Wreck diving combines history, exploration, and technical skill, giving divers the opportunity to explore the past by swimming through sunken ships, airplanes, and more. While wrecks are often teeming with marine life, the primary focus is on the structures themselves. Here’s where to go.
Diving with sharks is an exhilarating experience that offers a closer look at these often misunderstood creatures of the deep (and not so deep). While the thought of swimming alongside apex predators may seem daunting, the reality is far less intimidating than many imagine. You’re lucky if you see one, as sharks are usually afraid of divers — which is why certain destinations known for sharks are so popular. Here’s where to go.
Muck diving in areas with sediment-rich, often murky bottoms might sound unappealing, but it’s become a popular type of diving for underwater photographers and anyone who wants to encounter the extremely rare creatures that call these environments home. Here’s where to go.
Love the idea of being in the water with big marine creatures, but not too keen on sharks? Then pelagic diving may be up your alley. The chance to dive with “pelagics” — large, open-ocean animals like whale sharks, mantas, and other big fish — is a distinct experience, where the focus is on the open, deep-blue expanses of the world’s oceans. Here’s where to go.
Liveaboard diving takes you to dive sites beyond the reach of day boats and crowded reefs. Unlike land-based dive trips, where the best sites may be hours away, liveaboards put divers in the heart of the action so they can wake up each morning just minutes from world-class dive sites. Here’s where to go.
The World’s Most Unique Places to Dive
For most divers, the underwater world is a chance to fly through a kaleidoscope of colorful coral reefs, schools of tropical fish, and the occasional encounter with larger marine life. However, for a certain type of diver, there exists a realm of experiences that push the boundaries of the conventional and venture into the realm of the extreme.
The unique dive sites below are not your typical vacation spots. They are destinations with a singular purpose, often attracting only the most adventurous and dedicated divers. You wouldn’t dive in a river in Botswana as a casual diver, nor would you plan your first group dive trip to a place like Budapest. At the locations listed here, you’ll find the chance to have a very specific underwater encounter — whether that’s diving with the world’s largest snake or swimming through an abandoned lead mine.
These niche diving experiences often come with a hefty price tag, reflecting the specialized equipment, expert guides, and remote locations required to make them possible. And that usually doesn’t include the cost of getting to the destination, either. Many of them are not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet. From plunging into the icy depths of a flooded mine to coming face-to-face with prehistoric reptiles in murky rivers, these dives offer a level of excitement and exclusivity that you won’t find at most dive destinations.
For those willing to invest the time, money, and courage, these unique dive sites promise unforgettable encounters and bragging rights few other divers can claim.
We’ve recommended below some of the most popular and most convenient places to stay (mostly dive resorts) in each destination. Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay.
Bonne Terre Mine, MO
- Where to stay: The mine is about an hour south of St. Louis, Missouri, which has lots of affordable Airbnbs
- Recommended operators: Bonne Terre Mine has an on-site dive center
- Best season: Year-round
If you’ve ever taken a mine tour and thought, “this would be way cooler if I was swimming through it,” you’re in luck. Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri is a former lead mine that now attracts thousands of divers every year. The water is cold (at around 58 degrees Fahrenheit), but has visibility up to 100 feet (30 meters). Divers follow guides along one of about 20 underwater trails, swimming over abandoned mining equipment, ore carts, and geological formations illuminated by 500,000 watts of stadium lighting. That may make it a good place to dive for people not keen on being in pitch-black caves. In fact, personal lights aren’t even allowed. Range from 40 to 60 feet deep, and you can explore multiple several sites in one visit.
Because of the cold, a 7mm wetsuit and hood are must-haves. The mine is currently closed, but is expected to reopen in late spring 2025.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
- Where to stay: Trips include lodging in mobile camps
- Recommended operators: Big Animals or SDM Diving — you’ll need to book years in advance
- Best season: June and July are the only months with clear enough water to safely dive
Crocodiles are among the most perfectly evolved predators on the planet — so you’ll want to be a skilled and confident diver before getting in the water with them.
But if you are a skilled and confident diver, the Okavango Delta in Botswana is the place to go. You’ll stay in mobile camps along the river, and each day, you’ll don your dive gear and head out with a small group on a riverboat. When your guide sees a croc drop into the water, you’ll pull your mask on and quickly enter the water. It’s imperative not to linger at the surface, as crocs can be especially aggressive toward animals at surface level.
Fortunately, they’re less aggressive underwater, and your guide will tell you when they spot a croc and it’s safe to approach. These dives are often drift dives with iffy visibility, so you may find yourself drifting near a croc somewhat unexpectedly. Divers should always follow their instructor’s guidance, have ideal buoyancy control, and not get in the water if they’re at all uncomfortable. Crocs have poor eyesight, which means they may not notice you approaching them with slow, controlled movement — but it also means sudden motions can startle them, and you don’t want to be in the water with an alarmed crocodile.
Neptune Memorial Reef, FL
- Where to stay: The Ritz-Carlton is pricey but has a prime spot on Biscayne Beach (you could also stay just about anywhere in southern Miami)
- Recommended operators: Both Tarpoon Lagoon and Diver’s Paradise are allowed to take divers out
- Best season: March to September/li>
Diving at Neptune Memorial Reef is a unique experience suitable for even beginner divers. This underwater cemetery lies just three miles off the coast of Key Biscayne and combines art, ecology, and a commitment to keeping the legacy of loved ones alive. The reef includes artistic structures resembling the Lost City of Atlantis, with gates, pathways, and benches adorned with memorial plaques. The cremated remains of “forever residents” are incorporated into the concrete structures, creating a living memorial that supports marine life.
As the world’s largest manmade reef, it’s teeming with life — including parrotfish, angelfish, barracuda, and green moray eels. And because it’s relatively shallow (around 40 feet), there’s usually excellent lighting for capturing photos of the underwater world with just a GoPro or action camera. Diving is allowed and encouraged by the Neptune Memorial Reef’s owners — and realistically, many of those remembered at the site were likely divers themselves.
Bonito, Brazil
- Where to stay: Trips always include lodging in the town of Bonito
- Recommended operators: SDM Tours (which also offers pink dolphin diving) or Big Fish Diving (now booking for 2026)
- Best season: Varies
There’s a lot to love about Brazil, but it’s not necessarily the first place that comes to mind for scuba diving — unless, of course, you’re obsessed with spotting rare creatures in the wild. Head to the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul in the south-central part of the country, and you’ll find the Rio Formoso and Rio Sucuri (Formoso and Sucuri Rivers). If you’ve booked an anaconda diving trip, this is where you’ll enter the water to come face-to-face with these massive snakes. Divers must be accompanied by experienced local guides who understand the snakes’ habits and habitats. The dives are quite shallow, typically around 10 to 12 feet. The point is to see the elusive anacondas, which are the world’s biggest snakes. Patience is necessary, as anacondas have excellent camouflage and are quick to disappear after sensing humans nearby.
Anaconda diving is not an ongoing thing, and you’ll need to book a spot on a guided dive trip months, if not years, in advance. Plan for at least four or five days of diving to maximize your chances of spotting one.
Molnár János Cave, Hungary
- Where to stay: There are no dive resorts, so stay at any chic hotel you like in Budapest
- Recommended operators: MJ Cave Budapest
- Best season: Year-round
Diving in Molnár János Cave is a truly unique experience for several reasons — not the least of which because it’s a subterranean cave system under the city of Budapest. Budapest sits on a fault line, and the flooded cave system likely formed over time as thermal waters rising from below the Earth eroded the surrounding limestone.
The cave is accessed via a spring at the bottom of Lake Malom, reached by walking through an underground tunnel near one of the city’s popular bathhouses. (There’s a diving platform for entering and exiting the water.) The water temperature typically stays in the mid-70s Fahrenheit year-round, and the cave’s crystal-clear visibility means divers can see exceptional limestone formations and surreal mineral deposits illuminated by their dive lights. Only one operator is licensed to take divers into the cave, and it’s recommended that divers have at least an introductory cavern diving certification. If not, they should have at least an advanced open water certification and a minimum of 100 logged dives. You can also dive at the nearby Kőbánya Mine, if you have an extra day.
La Paz, Mexico
- Where to stay: The surprisingly affordable Marea La Paz, or Hotel Indigo for packages in partnership with The Cortez Club
- Recommended operators: The Cortez Club runs both dive trips and activities like whale-watching tours
- Best season: November to April
La Paz, on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. It’s also one of the most heartwarming places to dive, thanks to the opportunities around Los Islotes, a rocky outcrop at the northern tip of Espíritu Santo Island. The site is home to a thriving colony of sea lions, and divers can spend time interacting with the furry creatures underwater.
The young sea lions are especially curious and will often swim right up to divers to play with them underwater. Expect pups to playfully nip at your fins, swirl around you in tight spirals, or even “boop” you from above while they show off how much more nimble they are underwater. Adult sea lions, while less playful, are still approachable and often lounge on the rocks above the dive site. Note that the site is closed from June through August during sea lion mating season, to protect both the animals and divers.
Elsewhere around La Paz, divers can encounter manta rays, the occasional whale shark, and vibrant coral reefs. La Paz’s marine ecosystem is part of a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve and is so full of life that famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once called it “The World’s Aquarium.” You’ll find plenty of beachfront accommodations, ranging from affordable boutique hotels to upscale luxury resorts. 