AS THE MEDITERRANEAN´S PREMIER DIVING DESTINATION, GORGEOUS, ITALIAN SARDINIA ATTRACTS ALL LEVELS OF DIVERS WANTING TO EXPLORE ITS MAZE-LIKE CAVES, HISTORICAL WRECKS AND FASCINATING UNDERWATER LIFE
Sardinia is often described as containing the best diving in Italy and perhaps the best throughout the Mediterranean. Technical divers love the area´s caves, history-lovers are fascinated by the wrecks and beginners can ease into the water on a variety of shore dives. Most of the diving takes place on the east coast, because the west side of the island is exposed to the prevailing south westerly winds. In addition, the marine protected areas of the Archipelago of the Maddalena and the Marine Park of Lavezzi offer plentiful marine life.
The most visited of Sardinia´s dive sites is the Grotta del Nereo, a series of caves and tunnels reaching over 1150 feet (350 meters). There are 3 used entrances to the cave. Two are quite shallow while one is at 100 feet (30 meters). Divers often utilize the deeper entrance and swim through the chimney, exiting through one of the shallower openings. Slipper lobsters, octopus, red coral, nudibranchs and the largest mussel species in the world, the Pinna nobilis fan mussel, can all be found here. Capo Galera Diving Center offers this dive among other in the Capo Caccia area.
Other dives around the island include: The KT, a 213-foot (65-meter) long German ship which sank in 1943 and sits at 65-115 feet (20-35 meters); The Angelica, a Japanese tanker which sank in 1982 and sits at 65 feet (20 meters); The Cogliano, an 8,000 ton Italian freighter which sank in World War II and sits at 52-62 feet (16-19 meters); and Grouper Reef, home to a colony of 50 territorial groupers weighing 66-88 pounds (30-40kg).
Sardinia experiences a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and humid winters. During the summer months, water temperatures climb to 82°F (26°C), but there is often a thermocline at approximately 40 feet (12 meters) where the temperature drops to about 59°F (15°C). During the winter months, water temperatures tend to hover around 54°F (12°C) and most marine life disappears. In the right season, Sardinia is a diver´s paradise with crystal clear water and fascinating dive sites to explore.