Diving in Sardinia, where the Sea meets the Italian culture
Sardinia is a Italian Island in the Mediterranean Sea with an area of 24,000 square km and over 2,400 km of coast that alternate rocky and jagged stretch, beaches, quiet coves and cliff. Sardinia is famous around the world for the luxury villas and resort in Costa Smeralda.
Dive in Sardinia is very easy due to many Diving Centers, but almost operates from May to September when in Europe is summer time and the sea condition are better. The operators use big rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to get the best dive sites around the Island.
Sardinia has 4 National Marine Park Capo Caccia – Isola Piana, Tavolara – Punata Coda Cavallo, Penisola del Sinis – Isola di Mal di Ventre and Capo Carbonara where the marine life is very plenty.
The water is very clear, over 40 meters and quite cold due to strong north-west wind (Maestrale) and the temperature average is from 14 to 24 degree, a semi dry wet suit is recommended.
The most important dive sites are :
Secca del Papa (Pope Pinnacle) is one of the best dive site in Mediterranean and is located 300 meters far from the Tavolara Island (north-east Sardinia), the granite pinnacle top lies at 16 meters and the sand bottom is around 40 meters, this dive is recommended for advanced divers because the current always present can be stronger. The divers can find red and yellow gorgonia fan (Paramuricea Clavata), big groupers, school of barracuda, moray ells, octopus, dentex common and all fish from the Mediterranean Sea.
Grotta di Nereo (Nereo Cave) situated near Alghero, north west Sardinia, is a one of the biggest underwater cave in Mediterranean Sea that attracts divers from any country. It has discovered in 1957 from two local divers and they found a lot of red corals which is used for making jewelry. The cave has several entrances, arches and tunnels and the length is 300 meters and the maximum depth is 33 meters. In the Nereo Cave can find lobsters, slipper lobsters, lauriea siagiani, crabs and conger eel.
The KT12 Wreck was a German armed cargo torpedoed in Gulf of Orosei (East Sardinia) by a British submarine the 10th June 1943 and sunk after 40 minutes, the maximum depth is 34 meters. The KT12 is considered one of the best wreck of the Mediterranean Sea and the divers can discover something different every dive: small trucks, fuel drums, provisions, steering wheel, anchor, toilet bowl, propeller, machine room, one 75 mm cannon at stern and one 40 mm at bow.
The Capo Carbonara National Marine Park (South East Sardinia) offers many dive spot that suit beginners and advanced divers, the small village of Villasimius has many resort and villas to make a really nice holiday. The granitic Cavoli Island has many underwater swim thru and canyon with many gorgonia fans, large grouper and all of Mediterranean Sea. The Dotti and Santa Caterina shallows can give unforgettable dives with big school of barracuda and Dentex Dentex.
Asinara Island is located on North East Sardinia and it is a tourism destination just from 1997 when the maximum security prison was closed. There is a local diving center that offers 15 different diving spots where is common encounter lobsters, groupers, diplodus sargus sargus, corvinas, barracudas, gilt-head bream and more. At Punta del Turco the divers can see hundred Roman amphoras from a shipwreck happened on 4th Century A.D. We can suggest Sardinia for people can want try a different holiday that include sea, delicious cuisine, Mediterranean culture and a genuine hospitality.
@ Written by Giorgio [Dive and Cruise Italy Team General Manager & Director and Owner of Luna Diving - Thailand ]
We thanks for the video from our partner - Asinara Diving Centre.