Cote d Azur scuba diving holidays in France
| country: | France |
| location: | Cote d Azur |
| departures: | These trips can be tailor made between May and November and can be adapted to suit your requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £399 - £775 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes airport transfers, daily transport, accommodation (self catering or B&B), scuba equipment and PADI tuition (learn to dive course only). Price depends on choice of trip, see below for details |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Cote d Azur scuba diving holidays in France
A range of diving trips in the Cote d'Azur for all levels from those learning to dive to experienced divers. Enjoy fantastic diving and explore the highlights of this magnificent stretch of coastline such as Monaco, Nice, Cannes and St Tropez.
We run three 8 day Scuba Diving holidays in France, see below for trip outlines.
From £550 - £750 (8 days) ex flights. Departs May to November
The PADI Open Water Course is the most recognised entry level diver qualification in the world and is valid for life (assuming you are medically fit to dive). You will undertake the theory before arriving and we normally arrange for study kits to be sent to your home address on reservation. (a second option is eLearning, this does change the price, but please ask if interested).
You will learn to dive in small groups (an absolute maximum of four students to one instructor) in beautiful surroundings. Confined water sessions will be conducted on a beach on the Cap D'Antibes, and your Open Water dives will be conducted off the sites around the Cap and La Fourmigue, the lighthouse in the bay of Golfe Juan. All of these sites are well adapted to training as they have large rocky plateaux in shallow depths for exercises.
Once the skills are out of the way you will, like many of our clients before you, marvel at just how rich and diverse the marine life is down here. With visibility as good as 30 metres plus and the underwater landscapes spectacular our goal is to turn you from absolute beginners to safe and competent divers (of course needing more practice) by the end of the course.
We will pick you up from the airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of mobile home rental, apartment rental, one or two star hotel). Daily transfers will also be possible between the campsite and dive locations. The course will take four days and for the rest of the time you will will be free to explore the other highlights of this magnificent stretch of coastline such as Monaco, Nice, Cannes and St Tropez.
Itinerary:
Best time to go: The conditions for learning to dive on the Cote d’Azur are excellent but to get the very best without the worst of the high season crowds we recommend mid May to end June, and September to mid October.
From £399 - £650 (8 days) ex flights. Departs May to November.
For experienced divers and recently qualified alike, Antibes and Juan Les Pins have much to offer. The dive sites are rock and reef and depth ranges between 6 and 60 metres. The topography is stunning: drop offs, swim throughs, canyons and deep pinnacles. Highlights include a wonderful swim though cavern totally carpeted in colourful sponge and anemones and home to a statue of Commandant Yves Le Prieur (inventor of the first autonomous breathing apparatus) and the endless vertical walls of L’Enfer de Dante.
Visibility is between 10 and 30 metres plus and water temperature is over 20 degrees between late May and mid November. Highlights of marine life include Grouper, Dentex (pelagic snapper), Octopi, Lobster, Conger and Moray Eels, Cuttlefish, Nudibranches, Barracuda, Sunfish and Gorgonian Fans. Those that dismiss the Med as being dead are these days far off the mark in this part of the world.
We will pick you up from the airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of mobile home rental, apartment rental, one or two star hotel). Daily transfers will also be possible between the campsite and dive locations. Our dive boat is a brand new RIB capable of taking eight to ten divers, and we use brand new scubapro rental equipment. You will be guided by dual qualified French govt and PADI bi-lingual instructors.
Itinerary:
Scuba Diving La Londe Les Maures & Port Cros Marine Reserve
From £599 - £775 (8 days) ex flights. Departs September and October.
For all levels of diver, La Londe Les Maures has much to offer. Port Cros Marine Reserve is one of the oldest and most established in the Mediterannean. Many of our clients are simply blown away by the quality of the diving here which is extremely rich and diverse in life. Schools of 300 plus Barracuda, two metre long Grouper and crystal clear water await you, plus for the more experienced some of the best known wrecks in the French Med. The Donator and The Grec have very elevated reputations in French diving circles for good reason.
Visibility is between 10 and 30 metres plus and water temperature is over 20 degrees between late May and mid November. Highlights of marine life include Grouper, Dentex (pelagic snapper), Octopi, Lobster, Conger and Moray Eels, Cuttlefish, Nudibranches, Barracuda, Sunfish and Gorgonian Fans. Those that dismiss the Med as being dead are these days far off the mark in this part of the world.
When not diving you enjoy excellent hospitality and the charms of a truly beautiful town. Great food and wine as you’d expect. We will pick you up from Nice or Toulon-St Tropez (aka Hyeres) airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of self catering in the superbly renovated outbuildings of a local wine producing chateau (min 4 people), great quality small boutique two star hotel or two different centre des vacances (half board possible). Daily transfers between accommodation and dive locations are part of the package.
Itinerary:
We run three 8 day Scuba Diving holidays in France, see below for trip outlines.
learn to dive
Learn to dive week in the Cote d'Azur From £550 - £750 (8 days) ex flights. Departs May to November
The PADI Open Water Course is the most recognised entry level diver qualification in the world and is valid for life (assuming you are medically fit to dive). You will undertake the theory before arriving and we normally arrange for study kits to be sent to your home address on reservation. (a second option is eLearning, this does change the price, but please ask if interested).
You will learn to dive in small groups (an absolute maximum of four students to one instructor) in beautiful surroundings. Confined water sessions will be conducted on a beach on the Cap D'Antibes, and your Open Water dives will be conducted off the sites around the Cap and La Fourmigue, the lighthouse in the bay of Golfe Juan. All of these sites are well adapted to training as they have large rocky plateaux in shallow depths for exercises.
Once the skills are out of the way you will, like many of our clients before you, marvel at just how rich and diverse the marine life is down here. With visibility as good as 30 metres plus and the underwater landscapes spectacular our goal is to turn you from absolute beginners to safe and competent divers (of course needing more practice) by the end of the course.
We will pick you up from the airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of mobile home rental, apartment rental, one or two star hotel). Daily transfers will also be possible between the campsite and dive locations. The course will take four days and for the rest of the time you will will be free to explore the other highlights of this magnificent stretch of coastline such as Monaco, Nice, Cannes and St Tropez.
Itinerary:
| Day 1: | Pick up from Nice airport and transfers to accommodation |
| Day 2-3: | Open Water course (confined water) |
| Day 3: | Open Water course (confined water and open water) |
| Day 4: | Rest day to explore the rest of the Cote d’Azur - Nice, Cannes and Monaco all easily accessible by train |
| Day 5-6: | Open Water course |
| Day 7: | Rest day to explore Cote d’Azur |
| Day 8: | Return transfer to Nice airport |
Best time to go: The conditions for learning to dive on the Cote d’Azur are excellent but to get the very best without the worst of the high season crowds we recommend mid May to end June, and September to mid October.
recently qualified to experienced divers
Scuba Diving Antibes & Juan Les Pins From £399 - £650 (8 days) ex flights. Departs May to November.
For experienced divers and recently qualified alike, Antibes and Juan Les Pins have much to offer. The dive sites are rock and reef and depth ranges between 6 and 60 metres. The topography is stunning: drop offs, swim throughs, canyons and deep pinnacles. Highlights include a wonderful swim though cavern totally carpeted in colourful sponge and anemones and home to a statue of Commandant Yves Le Prieur (inventor of the first autonomous breathing apparatus) and the endless vertical walls of L’Enfer de Dante.
Visibility is between 10 and 30 metres plus and water temperature is over 20 degrees between late May and mid November. Highlights of marine life include Grouper, Dentex (pelagic snapper), Octopi, Lobster, Conger and Moray Eels, Cuttlefish, Nudibranches, Barracuda, Sunfish and Gorgonian Fans. Those that dismiss the Med as being dead are these days far off the mark in this part of the world.
We will pick you up from the airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of mobile home rental, apartment rental, one or two star hotel). Daily transfers will also be possible between the campsite and dive locations. Our dive boat is a brand new RIB capable of taking eight to ten divers, and we use brand new scubapro rental equipment. You will be guided by dual qualified French govt and PADI bi-lingual instructors.
Itinerary:
| Day 1: | Pick up from Nice airport and transfers to accommodation |
| Day 2-3: | Diving |
| Day 4: | Rest day to explore the Cote d’Azur – Nice, Cannes and Monaco all easily accessible by train |
| Day 5-6: | Diving |
| Day 7: | Rest day to explore Cote d’Azur |
| Day 8: | Return transfer to Nice airport |
Scuba Diving La Londe Les Maures & Port Cros Marine Reserve
From £599 - £775 (8 days) ex flights. Departs September and October.
For all levels of diver, La Londe Les Maures has much to offer. Port Cros Marine Reserve is one of the oldest and most established in the Mediterannean. Many of our clients are simply blown away by the quality of the diving here which is extremely rich and diverse in life. Schools of 300 plus Barracuda, two metre long Grouper and crystal clear water await you, plus for the more experienced some of the best known wrecks in the French Med. The Donator and The Grec have very elevated reputations in French diving circles for good reason.
Visibility is between 10 and 30 metres plus and water temperature is over 20 degrees between late May and mid November. Highlights of marine life include Grouper, Dentex (pelagic snapper), Octopi, Lobster, Conger and Moray Eels, Cuttlefish, Nudibranches, Barracuda, Sunfish and Gorgonian Fans. Those that dismiss the Med as being dead are these days far off the mark in this part of the world.
When not diving you enjoy excellent hospitality and the charms of a truly beautiful town. Great food and wine as you’d expect. We will pick you up from Nice or Toulon-St Tropez (aka Hyeres) airport upon your arrival and transfer you to your accommodation (we offer the choice of self catering in the superbly renovated outbuildings of a local wine producing chateau (min 4 people), great quality small boutique two star hotel or two different centre des vacances (half board possible). Daily transfers between accommodation and dive locations are part of the package.
Itinerary:
| Day 1: | Pick up from Nice or Toulon St Tropez airport and transfers to accommodation |
| Day 2-6: | Diving |
| Day 7: | Rest day to explore Chateau Bregancon, hinterland, wine chateaux or just enjoy the awesome beaches |
| Day 8: | Return transfer to Nice or Toulon St Tropez airport. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
 The diving from La Londe is in Port Cros - Europe's first marine wildlife reserve. The Reserve, which came into being in 1963, works to conserve marine life and raise public awareness of the diversity of species as well as pioneering bio-management techniques, which ensure that, despite the number of visitors, the area’s ecosystem remains untouched, and all operators in the reserve must sign up to a charter pledging their commitment to responsible diving. The company is based in Juan les Pins, the office being run on a minimum print policy and as much recycled as possible. The company’s policy is to work strictly with local companies including for accommodation which is provided in small friendly locally run hotels where traditional fare from local sources is provided, with water consumption kept to a minimum and recycling to a maximum.Guests are fully briefed on an environmental basis, to look but don’t touch, no littering, nor smoking on the boats to eliminate the incidence of cigarette butts in the water. On a day to day basis divers are briefed to bring up litter and debris from underwater dive sites as a matter of course, as well as an annual, more intense effort to keep the dive sites in the condition that they merit. The dive season in the South of France is relatively short, which limits damage to the sites. Its success has made it a model for action to conserve island and coastline ecosystems in tourist resorts worldwide. Dive centres in the Saint Raphael area have also collaborated to put down mooring rings to prevent damage caused by anchoring. Community  Alex and Noemie have been working in the South of France for the past four years, proactively creating awareness of the diving opportunities in the Mediterranean. Their work brings incremental business to local dive centres, allowing these centres to continue to employ staff from the area.The journey time, by whatever means, is shorter than that to other locations further afield. Encouraging the growth of diving business to the Mediterranean will also take pressure off over visitation to other “honey pot” venues. Great value, self catering options are also offered, with monies spent going to local services. Dive centres in the Saint Raphael area have also collaborated to put down mooring rings to prevent damage caused by anchoring. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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