Xlendi Bay

Xlendi Bay is an intermediate dive site on Gozo's southwest coast in Malta, where a scenic inlet provides sheltered access to reef and cave diving along limestone walls. The bay's picturesque setting, with waterfront restaurants and a sandy beach, makes it one of Gozo's most pleasant diving locations. The dive begins from the shore at the bay's head, with a gentle surface swim leading to the reef walls on either side. The left (south) wall is the more popular route, featuring a series of small caves, overhangs, and swim-throughs carved into the limestone. The right wall offers more open reef diving with boulder fields and sandy patches. The cave features at Xlendi include several small chambers accessible without formal cave training, though basic overhead environment awareness is important. Natural light penetrates into most of the caves, creating the atmospheric blue light effects that Gozo's caves are famous for. The walls within the caves support sponges and tunicates in vivid colours visible under dive light. Marine life in the bay is abundant for a shore-accessible site. Moray eels, both Mediterranean and common, are regularly sighted in the rock crevices. Octopuses inhabit the boulder fields, and cuttlefish are commonly encountered hovering above the sandy bottom. Schools of bream and salema move through the bay, while wrasses and blennies work the reef surfaces. The intermediate rating reflects the depth at the bay's outer reaches and the overhead environments within the caves. The bay's sheltered position means conditions are reliably calm, making it a good option when rougher sites are inaccessible. Visibility in Xlendi Bay typically exceeds 20 metres, with the clarity improving further as divers move toward the open Mediterranean. Water temperatures range from 15 to 26 degrees.