Wied iz-Zurrieq

Every dive here begins and ends in the Valley, the narrow rock-floored inlet below the quay, which slopes gently to about 15 metres and doubles as the local training and night-dive water. From its mouth the routes split. West Reef runs along drop-offs, ledges, gullies and boulders, with seagrass and sand around them, to the stacked entrances of Bell Tower Cave and the tight mouth of Mouse Hole Cave. East Reef is a wall where large shoals of small fish gather and bigger fish come in to feed. The third route crosses the sand to a full-size diving-helmet statue at about 28 metres, set down in July 2005, reportedly by a Maltese diving club marking its 50th anniversary, and carries on to the Um El Faroud. Whichever way you go, the exit is back in the Valley.

Bell Tower Cave has three entrances set one above another in the West Reef, the deepest at 27 metres, and Mouse Hole Cave, at 25 metres, is named for its narrow entrance. In a 2010 survey of divers for Malta's national dive-site plan, West Reef & Caves came out as the island's most popular cave dive. A centre that runs trips here describes clouds of cardinalfish hanging in the dark of the caverns, sponges and false coral colouring the walls, and groupers patrolling the deeper ledges. One diver's verdict on West Reef is that it is nicest as a night dive.

Pick the day by the wind: the inlet faces south, so northerly winds flatten it and southerly or southwesterly winds bring swell in. Check that the ladders are in place before you kit up, especially in winter, because bad weather can take them off; in rough seas the sheltered slipway may be the only way out, and its algae-slick concrete needs slow feet. Strong currents sometimes run even when the sea is calm. The Blue Grotto boats cross the bay from the same quay, so an SMB earns its place, at least on the east side. Anglers fish the quay and rocks; enter away from their lines. In summer the quay is crowded and parking is tight, so arrive early. East Reef has its own entry along a path east of the stairs, but there is no exit there: that dive finishes back at the quay, so turn with the swim home in mind.