Liguria is a region in north-western Italy, home to a sprawling rugged coastline bordering the Ligurian Sea. The epicentre and birthplace of Italian scuba diving is the town of Portofino, flanked by the fishing town of Santa Margherita Ligure and resort town of Nervi - which provide easy access to the Portofino Marine Park. With gentle currents sweeping the Portofino Marine Park, the waters are teeming with fish, from the very small to larger pelagics, darting in and out of the area’s caves, ravines, and imposing walls.

Heading west along the coast, Liguria’s capital city, Genoa, has many wrecks lying beyond recreational limits on the seafloor. With wrecks lying up to 115 metres deep, Genoa - and the nearby coastal town of Arenzano - are the ideal place for divers to train in technical skills. Liguria also has several wrecks accessible at recreational depths, while all dive courses are possible at many of Liguria’s dive centres.

Lying further west, Liguria diving can be found on the coastline of Noli, which plays host to a series of ravines, rocky reefs and the Bergeggi Marine Area, which thrives with barracuda, sea bream and various species of nudibranch.

Perhaps the most acclaimed dive site while scuba diving in Liguria is the ‘Christ of the Abyss’. Installed in 1954, the bronze statue commemorates the underwater explorer Dario Gonzatti who died while diving with an early rebreather. The famous sculpture lies 18 metres deep and is accessible to divers of all levels. Also within the Portofino Marine Park, ‘Isuela’ is an underwater pinnacle that reaches up from 60 metres to within 13 metres of the water’s surface. Nutrient-rich currents bathe the site, inviting a myriad of fish to visit the site including pelagics such as tuna and amberjack.

One wreck also exists in the Portofino Marine Park, the ‘Mohawk Deer’. The Canadian steam-powered cargo ship was sunk in 1974 and is a great spot for a multilevel dive. With the stern and boilers lying deeper than 40 metres and the bow section just over 20 metres, both recreational and technical divers enjoy the site. Based just off Arenzano, the ‘Milford Haven Wreck’ is known as the biggest wreck in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1991, an explosion occurred in the oil tanker and she sunk to the seafloor. The Haven now lies at 32-85 metres deep and is a demanding but rewarding dive for both technical and recreational divers.

The ‘Colombara’ is an excellent dive inside the Portofino Marine Park. With three caves that sit at a range of different depths, the dive site is suitable for everyone, from novice divers to the most experienced. The first cavern sits 36 metres deep where divers can ascend along a vertical wall before reaching two fun swim-throughs. It is even possible to surface inside the cavern to admire the stalactites.