Property in Turkey | Scuba Diving in Turkey

Scuba diving in Turkey

Scuba diving is a relatively new activity to Turkey, meaning that both old and new visitors can engage in the sport to discover a new side of the country.

Anatolia's part of the Mediterranean is only just opening up to undersea tourists, but already visitors are discovering the wondrous sites that await them beneath the waves of the Aegean. Making property in Turkey become very popular in these coastal resorts along the Aegean.

Increasing in popularity each year, scuba diving in Turkey is available at a variety of high quality centres in Turkey, catering for divers of all experiences and languages. From the beginner to the old hand, Anatolia's coastline offers much beneath the sea.

Some people may only want to go scuba diving in Turkey for the day as part of a larger holiday in the region, or as part of a day trip away from their property in Turkey. For others, there are week-long excursions, either for those with their own equipment or for others who need to hire it.

Turkey's diving season runs from April to November, with the crystal-clear waters offering excellent visibility, with distances up to 30 metres not uncommon. In addition, the choice of locations is spread all over Turkey's coast, meaning that tourists are often not that far from a centre. However, a unique way to go scuba diving in Turkey is on a gulet cruise, a way of seeing Turkey's coastline from the comfort of a traditional-style boat.

Antalya is world famous and offers a Second World War French military transport vessel, the San Didier, which is available for divers at a depth of only 32 metres. There are also vast caverns to explore, as well as sealife, such as rays, tunas and seals to gaze at. The nearby resort of Manavgat also has an interesting treat for scuba divers in the form of a US B-24 bomber which was downed in 1944, although it requires special permission to visit.

However, a nearby shipwreck is open to explore and offers a mediaeval treat in the form of an 800-year-old vessel laying just 28 metres below the surface near Gelidonya, at the west of Antalya bay. Other popular locations on the Turkish coast includes Kemer, with the Three Islands, off Tekirova, which offers great depths and the wreck of a Victorian French cargo vessel.

Yet for many thrill-seekers, the prospect of finding Atlantis draws many to Turkey's coast. Although most serious scholars have dismissed the lost civilisation as a myth, there are still many who want to find out for themselves and dive off the coast of Ayvalik. Although submerged cities may not be found, the wildlife is worth seeing.

While Ayvalik offers fine zoological opportunities, it is Bodrum, a popular tourist resort, which has one of the greatest underwater experiences in the world. Sea sponges alive with colour on spectacular rock outcrops often lead to people taking at least a day just to see it and even then not completely.

With so much to choose from and so many locations, Turkey also allows divers to do so through certified schools, offering a thrilling, but safe experience.

Turkey has over 8,000km of the most breathtaking coastline. Good value property in Turkey is available on the majority of it, but the popular resorts are located on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.