The sun-drenched Tuscan Archipelago is a chain of islands between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, west of Tuscany, Italy. The archipelago contains the islands of Elba - the largest island of the group -, Pianosa, Capraia, Montecristo, Giglio, Gorgona and Giannutri, all of which are protected as part of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. Scuba diving in Tuscany also takes place from the mainland of Italy, where it is possible to explore caves and deep wrecks at Porto Ercole and steep walls at Livorno - access to the Tuscan Archipelago diving is also available from both Porto Ercole and Livorno.

The island of Elba is often considered to be the best of Tuscany diving. After many years of gentle erosion, the waves have cut numerous caves and pinnacles from the island. Perhaps the most common request while scuba diving in Tuscany is to see an oceanic sunfish at Elba’s current-swept sites - you’ll have to keep your fingers crossed in hope! The island of Capraia also sees strong currents buffeting walls and deep pinnacles while Giglio Island - mostly dived from Porto Ercole - has shallow shoals ideal for novice divers as well as deep wrecks that are only accessible to technical divers.

Scuba diving in Tuscany takes place from the dive centres located on the islands and the mainland, while on Elba there are several dive resorts to stay in. Dive courses are held at many of the dive centres and often they offer certification up to the professional level.

Diving in straight from the shore at Elba, the ‘Elviscot’ is a shallow wreck at only 12-metres deep. In 1972, the ship sank after a violent storm and it was pushed to the shoreline. With only a short distance to the surface, the site is particularly bright and ideal for underwater photographers and novice divers who don’t want to head too deep. A few hundred metres off the coast of Elba, in the Corsican Canal, is an underwater art collection with statues depicting various historical and mythological scenes while just off of Elba, ‘Pianosa Island’ is a great place to dive to witness abundant marine life. Until recently scuba diving was not permitted here, meaning that large schools of fish, lobster and even eagle rays have taken up residence.

From the island of Giannutri, explore the ‘Wreck of the Anna Bianca’ lying around 100-metres from the coast. Sitting in 32-55 metres of water, the wreck is broken into two parts; the stern with a well-preserved engine room and the bow which is now reduced to a heap of metal sheets scattered on the seabed. Located on the island of Capraia, ‘Punta della Civitata’ offers a clear drop down a wall from 20 to 45-metres deep. The rock is covered with lively sponges and a lot of benthic life including, moray eels, conger eels and groupers.