Madeira
( autonomous region of Portugal)
Flights: £ 250 Diving: As with any eastern Atlantic destination, Madeira is weather dependent, but the water is clear and it’ s a great place to find barracuda schools, octopus and, if you get lucky, the extremely rare Mediterranean monk seal. Otherwise, there’ s the marine reserve of Garajau, with its diver-friendly dusky groupers, or the Alfonso Cerqueira Wreck, purpose-sunk in 2018 and accessible from the beautiful capital, Funchal. Eat and stay: Madeira has plenty of self-catering options, all bookable with mainstream agencies, with their ever-changing prices. There are some bargains to be had on Airbnb. The food is a Portuguese-tinged array of espetada
( beef skewered on laurel branches), bolo de caco( a flatbread with sweet potato) and espada( scabbard fish, often served with banana.)
Value: It’ s a great destination, though prices are a bit higher than mainland Portugal and the weather can be unpredictable. Average daily cost is £ 160.
PHOTO: SIMON ROGERSON
Montenegro
Flights: £ 200 Diving: Montenegro’ s underwater scene is not dissimilar to that of its feted neighbour, Croatia. Wrecks, topography, some Adriatic life. The signature dive is the Oreste shipwreck at 32m. There’ s some beautiful encrusting life, making it the jewel in the crown of the local dive scene. Eat and stay: For dining, head to the traditional konoba restaurants and order the local kebabs, cevapcici. Mid-range hotels are around £ 100 a night for two sharing and there’ s a lot under £ 65 on the Airbnb scene. Value: Montenegro is one of the lowest-cost destinations in Europe, and the diving is decent enough for the Adriatic. One for those who hanker for something different. Average daily cost is about £ 120.
Malta, Gozo, Comino
Flights: £ 200 Diving: Malta is arguably the most popular of the budget diving destinations, thanks to blue water, array of wreck dives and some of the most beautiful topography in the Med. Wrecks such as the P29 and the tugboat Rozi at Cirkewwa Marine Park, or the Um el Faroud at Wied iz- Zurrieq, have become acknowledged classics by the UK divers who visit every year.
Eat and stay: You can save a lot with the various 2-star hotels; consult those TripAdvisor reviews before booking. Restaurants offer a mix of African and North African flavours, with popular dishes including stuffat tal-fenek( rabbit stew) or lampuki pie. Value: Malta is cheap and easy to travel around using public transport, and the number of dive centres keeps pricing competitive. Average daily costs are around £ 120.
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