The southern French city of Montpellier is the capital of Languedoc-Rousillion. It is an attractive medieval city on the Mediterranean, with a nice, relaxed feel and lots of nearby beaches. If you want to get out of the city and off the beach, how about a Montpellier scuba diving trip?
There are several dive schools in Montpellier (and in nearby seaside villages such as La Grand Motte) running trips out into the Mediterranean. Montpellier, and France in general, are often overlooked as dive destinations, with countries further south such as Greece and Turkey getting most of the dive traffic. But there is some good diving to be had in the area. Visibility is much better in the Mediterranean than on the French Atlantic, sometimes getting up as high as 30m and competing with the tropics! Water temperatures are impressive too – up to the mid-twenties in summer.
There is a wide range of marine life around. You might see octopus, barracuda, moray and conger eels, rays, colourful sea sponges, white and yellow coral, lobster, cuttlefish and more. While you won’t see the huge colourful variety you’ll find in tropical climes, you’ll probably be surprised by just how full of life the Mediterranean is (despite its needing to supply all those lovely beach-side seafood restaurants!).
One of the best dives in the area is at Cap d’Adge. This is an area of volcanic underwater cliffs, with great visibility and a rich marine life that lives close to the surface. You’ll see lots of fish at as little as 5m, rather than the 20m plus you’ll need to travel elsewhere.
A Montpellier scuba diving trip is a chance to see another side of the Mediterranean – well away from the sun-loungers and beach resorts.
