Fiesa Reef
The best-known dive site on the Slovenian coast lies in Fiesa bay between Piran and Strunjan, right in front of the two local dive centres. A rocky reef runs along the shore down to about 8 m, after which a gently sloping sand and later mud bottom leads past a whole collection of placed objects: more than a dozen small boat wrecks, a staged car-and-motorbike 'accident', statues and the concrete cubes of an experimental artificial reef laid in 2003. The objects act as shelter, so seahorses, octopus, cuttlefish, conger eels and lobsters are regular finds. The site is used for courses, fun dives and night dives all year round.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Coast
- Area: Piran, Fiesa & Portorož
- Depth: 0–15 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: reef, wreck, night
- Coordinates: 45.5264, 13.5812
- Highlights: seahorse, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, conger eel, spiny lobster, sea bass, salps, 10–15 small sunken boats, staged car (Renault 4) and motorcycle, concrete-cube artificial reef from 2003 (~9 m), statues and objects on the sand (8–15 m)
- Tips: Shore entry by the steps on the concrete waterfront near Hotel Barbara / Hotel Fiesa; parking in season is paid and crowded. Visibility is called 'good' here when it exceeds about 5 m, and bora stirs up sediment – Bernardin is the sheltered alternative. Bring a compass and a torch; night dives are recommended for the richest life. Both Nemo Divers and the Fiesa (ex-Sharky) centre run guided dives with rental gear.