Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south, and has a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea.

Croatia has an amazing 5,835km of coastline, 4,057km of which belongs to islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic, but only about 50 are populated. The largest island is Krk (near Rijeka) which has a land area of 462 square km.
Diving and sailing are very popular activities here as the sea is calm and beautifully clear. There are also quite a few ancient artifacts to be found underwater – both Greek and Roman. There are also quite a few shipwrecks to be found in the Adriatic sea!

Diving in Croatia is permitted only to those who possess a valid diving license issued by the Croatian Diving Association. The license costs 100 KN and can be purchased at authorized diving centers. The license is valid for the period of one year and is issued on the basis of diving qualifications acquired in internationally recognized diving schools. Diving locations must be marked by buoys or flags and the maximum allowed diving depth, when using a compressed-air cylinder, is 40m.

Best Dive Sites in Croatia

ISLAND OF VIS

This island is famous for its beautiful, intact nature. The underwater world offers perfect visibility, clear sea and great colors. There are six sunken ships from different historic periods, from the ancient times to the World War II in the Vis sea basin. There are four diving centers on Vis.

BLUE CAVE

A beautiful dive on the islet called Bishevo, close to the village of Komiza (5km away from Vis). On beautiful days you’ll find a natural, astounishingly blue light.

GREEN CAVE

By the island of Ravnik, also near Vis. Daily light makes green reflection in the cave – easy dive.

Shipwreck BRIONI

An Austrian liner sunk in 1932. Depth 38-60m – advanced divers only.

Shipwreck VASSILIOS

A Greek cargo ship, impressive size of 103m., depth 25- 40 m – easy dive.

Shipwreck FISHING SHIP

Drunk seamen returning from Vis to Komiza clashed into the cliff, the ship went down about 40 m. An astonishig dive, the nets are still waving beside the ship and shoals of fish are swimming by, all “wrapped up” in Deep blue.

ROGOZNICA

A picturesque fishing village near Trogir protruding from the coastline.

ALAIN’S CLIFF

Named after a Belgian who was quite lousy diver but so enthusiastic that after this dive he kept repeating
“I will never forget this!” The cliff goes from a plateau on 7 m down to 117 m. Sliding into the blue! Magic!

SWEET DIVE

Romanian ship that sank after being hit by an airplane or a submarine torpedo in W.W. II. It was transporting sugar and chocolate. Lobsters live in the wreckage. Depth: 24m. Wreckage consists of 3 parts.

MULO ISLAND

Diving around a small island with a beautiful lighthouse on it. Depth: 35m.

Getting to Croatia

Most visitors to Croatia come by car and are usually from the neighboring countries of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and so on. From northern Europe, the easiest way to get to Croatia would be by driving to Munich and then entering Austria, down to Graz, crossing into Slovenia, and then heading for Croatia which is signposted as soon as you leave Maribor.

For those coming by plane, the main airports are Zagreb, Pula, Split, Dubrovnik and Rijeka Airport (which is in fact on the nearby island of Krk).

Foreign visitors do not normally require visas to enter Croatia – to check if you require a visa, visit the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ web page which lists the countries whose citizens do require entry visas. If you do need one, please contact the Croatian Embassy in your country for more information on how to obtain a visa.

When to Visit Croatia

The climate is Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, meaning warm dry summers and mild winters, with 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly – it is one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe! The water temperature is still 20C in October, making the diving season quite long.