Antalya Diving & Snorkeling: Where to Get Underwater

Kas, about three hours west of Antalya airport, is the country's premier dive base, with 25 or more sites ranging from walls and canyons to caves and wrecks. Standout dives include the Uluburun shipwreck replica in Hidayet Bay, recreating the famous 14th-century BC wreck and dropping to around 32 metres, and Pigeon Island, where an underwater amphorae exhibition sits between 5 and 22 metres and works for both snorkelers and divers. Assi Island, around 25 minutes by boat, brings groupers, barracuda, octopus, rare nudibranchs and the occasional sea turtle. Visibility frequently exceeds 30 metres and can reach 40 on the clearest days, which is why serious divers make the trip out here.

Kemer, roughly 45 minutes west of Antalya, has the most active dive scene close to the city and several memorable wrecks. The MS Paris II, a 70-metre French freighter, lies well preserved between 21 and 31 metres, while the smaller Pati Wreck near Aquarium Bay sits shallow at 5 to 12 metres, split in two after a 2001 sinking, making it accessible to newer divers. Reef sites such as Three Islands and Sican Island add caves, walls and good fish life. Most Kemer centres run two-dive morning boats and beginner try-dives daily in season. The sheltered coast here stays calm from April into November, so it is a dependable base early and late in the year.

East of Antalya, the resorts around Side and Manavgat suit beginners and families, with gentler reefs and calm shallow water. The headline dive is the TCSG-117, a Turkish coastguard boat deliberately sunk about 3 km off Side in 2008 as an artificial reef, now resting at a maximum depth of around 25 metres and slowly colonised by marine life. Off Antalya itself, the submerged Dornier Do 28 aircraft from 1967 sits between roughly 19 and 23 metres for those wanting an unusual wreck. Many dive centres along this stretch offer hotel pickup, so you can combine an all-inclusive stay near Side with a morning of easy, confidence-building diving.

You do not need a licence to get underwater here. Almost every centre runs a beginner try-dive, sometimes called Discover Scuba or Try Scuba, where an instructor takes you down to around 6 metres in a sheltered bay after a short briefing, no experience needed. These typically include two short dives, gear and boat time over a half or full day. If you want certification, PADI and SSI Open Water courses run over three to four days across the region. Children can usually try a supervised shallow dive from age 8 to 10 depending on the centre. Snorkeling is offered alongside almost every boat trip for non-divers and younger family members.

The diving season runs from April to late October or early November. The best months are June, July and September, balancing warm water, calm seas and strong visibility. In peak summer, surface water reaches the high twenties and even low thirties Celsius, while at depth it sits comfortably around 24 to 28 degrees. A 3mm shorty suit is enough in midsummer; a 5 to 7mm full suit is better in spring and autumn when the water is cooler. Visibility is consistently good, frequently beyond 30 metres and occasionally 40 in Kas. Avoid windy days on exposed sites, as surface chop can cut both comfort and underwater clarity.

Diving in Turkey is affordable by European standards. A beginner try-dive day or two-dive boat trip typically falls in a modest range, with certified two-dive packages a little higher and underwater photos usually charged separately. Always confirm what is included: gear, lunch, boat and insurance. Bring a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, water and any personal mask. Kas in particular is a long drive from Antalya airport, and early dive-boat departures leave little room for transport hiccups. A private airport transfer booked over WhatsApp, with meet and greet, flight tracking, a fixed price per vehicle and free child seats, gets you and your gear to distant dive bases like Kas or Side calmly and on time.