With over 10,000 km of coastline, France is a country where the practice of diving offers an incredible diversity. The diving spots in France are many, and these have several surprises in store for you, whether in terms of fauna, flora, seabed, or landscape.
1. The island of Groix
The island of Groix is a veritable paradise for divers because its funds offers incredible diversity. In terms of topology, there are sand, rocks, silt, and masses of algae that feed an equally varied fauna. Because of its location in the south of Brittany, the island of Groix allows underwater species from the north of the Atlantic to rub shoulders with those from the south, thus forming this heterogeneous fauna. Visibility is good there, which gives it the status of an essential French diving spot for divers who would like to discover Morbihan differently.
2. Calanques National Park
World-famous, the Calanques National Park offers a wide variety of underwater landscapes. Perhaps you will find yourself in the presence of cetaceans (especially dolphins), they are quite numerous. But beware, swimming with them is prohibited in the park area, habitat protection is mandatory. Many animal and plant species are present, because the Calanques National Park of Marseille is the subject of protection of natural species. In front of the Calanques massif, you can visit two Roman ships, and the wreck of the ship that brought the plague to Marseille. Emotions guaranteed.
On the coast, you will also find the Calanque de Sormiou, which is worth the detour underwater and on land. The practice of snorkeling (hiking with fins, half-aquatic, half-land) is also quite common there.
3. The Gulf of Sagone
The Gulf of Sagone is one of the most beautiful diving spots in France. The water is clear there (great visibility, up to 40-50 meters), the reliefs are varied and the funds magnificent. The many peaks, faults or canyons in the gulf preserve an extraordinarily rich flora and fauna, almost untouched by pollution … And even if you risk crossing some other passionate or interested divers, the Gulf of Sagone does not suffer still overcrowded, since it is a little less known than the Scandola Reserve. Further north, its fame is well established, but we should think about preserving it a little more from the annual tourist mass.
4. The Calanque of Port d’Alone
With its cover air, the Calanque de Port d’Alon offers divers privileged access to the Mediterranean. Accessible by the beach, this cove is also ideal for snorkeling because the rocks remain accessible for a long time. By diving in the Calanque du Port d’Alon, you will not go over 4 meters deep. This will not prevent you from discovering a rich flora and fauna, typically Mediterranean and well preserved since now fishing is prohibited. Also, for a bit of thrill, go straight out into the open sea and explore the Sec d’Alon, drop 38 meters deep.
5. The wrecks of Normandy
In Normandy, scuba diving is mainly practiced around many wrecks all along the Channel coast. The Second World War marked the spirits but also the seabed, leaving after it nearly 150 wrecks near the landing beaches of 1944. There are also over 2000 sites to discover which are related to this event. The wrecks of Normandy are one of those diving spots in France that tell history, offering divers a vision of the past, recalling the violence of that time.