Discover Monte Argentario

We dive flying through beautiful ravines and caves, we float along the walls falling down till the bottom covered by soft and hard coral, numerous species of sponges and invertebrates with incredible colours. A lot of diving spots for every taste and level.

The Argentario Spots

• Maddalena shoal (Secca della Maddalena)

The top of the shoal reaches about 6 meters deep with a profile similar to a shark fin. Beautiful coral branches in ravines populated by lobsters with red sea fans; abandoned nets home of nudibranchs, external rocks full of life with tropical colors and lights falling down till the sand; mystic encounters with barracudas and snappers make this spot unique and ideal dive for photosubs.

• Capo d’Uomo shoal (Secca di Capo d’Uomo)

A beautiful shoal with the top at 6 meters that descends over 45 meters depth. Red sea fans everywhere, spotted dogfish eggs, sea lilies and gorgon stars are the setting for the meeting with moonfish and amberjacks.

• Coral rock (Scoglio del corallo)

One of the two most representative dives of the Argentario due to the presence of a wall covered entirely with red coral. The depth does not exceed 32 meters and this makes Nitrox the ideal breathing mix for this dive. Coloured sponges, invertebrates of all shapes, two passing tunnels full of life, the presence of sea bream, conger eels, moray eels, sea cicadas, lobsters, salps, barracudas allow various underwater itineraries in the certainty of great emotions.

• Creek of the marine ox (Cala del bove)

From the suggestive mooring right below the sheer coast, sheltered by the mistral wind, this dive offers the opportunity of two itineraries. In the first one, the external wall exceeds 45 meters in depth, in the second it is hard to reach more than 35 meters. Yellow gorgonians, small coral branches, ravines often shelters for spotted dogfish, moray eels and nudibranchs characterize both itineraries with the pleasant safety stop made at the end of the dive right inside the creek observed by nice colored small fishes.

• Argentarola small island (Isolotto dell’Argentarola)

Together with the coral shoal it is certainly the most representative diving spot of the Argentario. At least three itineraries can be found: north, south and caves. The outer tip of the rock is characterized by a wall that drops to over 40 meters covered by “forests” or red gorgonians of rare beauty and density. Frequent encounters with large groupers, barracudas, seahorses, snappers and, in late spring, with the moon fish. The most famous cave called “cathedral” (for expert divers only) has an entrance just 6 meters depth and then opens in a gigantic vault with stalactites and stalagmites, small caves and ravines inhabited by typical organisms living in the darkness.

• The columns (Le colonne)

Turning Punta di Cala Grande to the south we find an ideal inlet for our mooring. Once in the water we will leave the coast behind, swimming towards the open sea until we meet a wall full of sea fans and lobsters with the bottom at about 39 meters. It is possible to meet snappers and, in autumns, medium-sized amberjacks. It’s also very suggestive as a night dive.

• Cala grande south (Cala grande sud)

We dive swimming off the tip of Cala Grande with the bottom at around 40 meters. The wall full of red sea fans in its outermost part lights up with the intense yellow of a branch of false black coral. Large-sized conger eels, lobsters, gorgon stars are evidence of life together with hundreds of large red chestnuts. On the way back, the encounter with the submerged faraglione is very suggestive, and imposing shelter for swarms of salps and barracudas in a few meters depth.

• The Christ (Il Cristo)

Dive close to Punta Cacciarella, around a not deeper than 18 meters shoal. A very simple and enjoyable dive with the encounter of the Abyss Christ statue with the end inside an open beautiful cave over the surface illuminated by the sun’s rays.

• The lighthouse (Il faro)

Below Punta Lividonia we find a wall that extends toward the open sea, rich in red sea fans and ravines with small coral branches. The proximity to Porto S. Stefano can offer encounters with pelagics of interesting dimensions.

• Half chanel shoal (Secca di mezzo canale)

A special beautiful dive reserved for experts. The hat of the shoal is 24 meters deep and the drops descends over the recreational altitudes, often creating current of considerable intensity. A surprising amount of gorgon stars among the red gorgonians is often the setting for a magnificent encounter: snappers, amberjacks, barracudas… we are in the middle of the chanel, anything can happen. Just to recall you that we are in the Pelagos Sanctuary, a marine area for the protection of marine mammals which live in it. https://www.sanctuaire-pelagos.org/en/

• The islet (L’isolotto)

An easy dive, coloured by sponges, sea fans, red coral at a shallow depth and with the presence of small caves inhabited by lobsters and shrimps.

• The blue cave (La grotta azzurra)

A cave covered with sea daisies, sponges and with nudibranchs of various species which, together with the contrasts of light, bring life to the natural arches.

• Cove of Saints (Cala dei Santi)

Rock landslide with typical Mediterranean inhabitants: octopus, moray eels, conger eels and yellow and red gorgonians on the wall.

• Avoltore head (Punta Avoltore)

A medium difficulty dive with a wall full of yellow and red sea fans, coral and with the chance, in the season, to meet snappers and amberjacks.

• Window head (Punta finestra)

Sea daisies, coral and sea fans are the protagonists in this exciting dive where some caves passing a few meters deep, and a little further down a ravine full of life, make this dive particularly articulated and lively.