Explore Alghero

The combination of wild, natural beauty and dramatic gothic architecture have drawn tourists to Alghero for centuries. The beautiful turquoise blue of the Mediterranean Sea, small, white sandy bays, archaeological sites and national parks will make any traveller fall in love. 

Diving in Alghero is big business and many say it has the best diving in Italy. There are numerous dive centres and dive resorts around the coast of Sicily and there are plenty within the town. Most offer dive courses from beginner up to professional levels, with all manner of specialties in between. The cave diving specialty is very popular here!

The main highlight of diving in Alghero is the wealth of caves which honeycomb the towering Capo Caccia cliffs. The most famous are Neptune Caves - it is thought the caves here are the most extensive submerged system in Europe.

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★★ Grotta dei Cervi

Certainly the most important site from a historical point of view, the Grotta dei Cervi (Cave of the Deer), discovered in 1986, presents fossil remains, now calcified in the rock, dating back to the Neolithic period. One can admire various mandibles, bones from different parts of the body, and a skull

236
Logs
147
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
20.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Grotta dei Fantasmi

Another top site in the area is Grotta dei Fantasmi, the ghost cave. The entrance is only 7 meters but the dive is only a few tens of cm from the surface, present several air bubbles and tunnels. Completely of white limestone rock it is reminiscent, in part because of the excellent visibility, of cenotes in Central America.

61
Logs
48
Divers
16.0 m
⌀ Depth
28.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Grotta di Falco

Falco Cave is named after its discoverer Ennio Falco who discovered the aerial part of apnea. The cave is of rare beauty, on its vaults is the presence of numerous colonies of red coral; made in the shape of a horseshoe, it has exit and entrance always within sight. It requires an Advanced or Cavern certification.

353
Logs
214
Divers
17.0 m
⌀ Depth
18.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Cala Verde

Dive spot suitable for Open Water Diver. The bottom slopes slowly down to 16-18 mt, easy to enter the water because of the always calm sea. Good for Try Scuba and Basic Diver exercises but also for compass navigation exercises. Great spot for snorkelers.

178
Logs
108
Divers
14.0 m
⌀ Depth
22.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Cala del Bollo

Cala del Bollo (Bollo’s Cove) takes its name from the Aragonese tower above it, the Bollo Tower. Dive spot suitable for beginners, open water courses and beautiful spot for snorkeling. Given its shallow depth already from the surface it is possible to see octopuses, moray eels and starfish.

36
Logs
25
Divers
13.0 m
⌀ Depth
10.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★☆ Isola Foradada Dolmen

Located in the northern of the island, two large Dolmens rise up to 8 mt from a depth o 25-30 mt. The dive develops around these big rocks, very colorful with sponges and marine life as well as corals.

85
Logs
52
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
18.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Cala della Bramassa

Cala della Bramassa with its flat bottom, convenient for carrying out exercises, is a suitable place to carry out the open waters of beginner courses (Try Scuba and Basic diver). Swimming offshore it reaches 18 mt. Also suitable as a snorkeling spot as it is sheltered from winds and the sea is almost always flat.

134
Logs
70
Divers
11.0 m
⌀ Depth
24.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Grotta di Nereo

Located just behind the Capocaccia promontory, the Nereo cave is considered one of the most beautiful dives in the Mediterranean and absolutely in the top 5 in Sardinia. The uniqueness of this cave is the huge environments and the possibility to vary the route according to the diver's ability.

317
Logs
180
Divers
24.0 m
⌀ Depth
22.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ La Madonnina

The Madonnina is the dive site exactly below the Capocaccia promontory; after descending, follow a colorful wall to the Madonnina cavern, which is also rich in sponges, concretions and corals. However, one can move away from the wall to look for fish further offshore and deeper.

234
Logs
142
Divers
21.0 m
⌀ Depth
19.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Il tunnel

The Tunnel Cave is a cave dive in very large spaces: its vault is 17 m high, impressive are the light effects when looking from the inside to the outside. There are also a couple of narrower tunnels reserved for those with a Cave patent.

69
Logs
49
Divers
22.0 m
⌀ Depth
17.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Grotta del Cabirol

Cabirol Cave takes its name from the Cabirol staircase, the famous 754-step staircase leading to the entrance of Neptune Caves. The entrance remains exactly below the staircase and is on two levels, one at a depth of 12mt and the other at 5mt. The play of light is particularly beautiful.

15
Logs
13
Divers
24.0 m
⌀ Depth
20.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★☆ Il porticato

The Portico Cave is one of the top dives in the area: it stretches along the wall at an average depth of 22 meters for a length of a hundred meters; the presence of numerous arches facing the blue make it look like a portico, hence its name.

105
Logs
85
Divers
22.0 m
⌀ Depth
17.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Il delfino

The Dolphin is a dive site sheltered from the mistral, the predominant wind in the area, and in fact is practicable even in adverse weather conditions. It is so named because at a depth of 16mt a life-size statue of a dolphin has been placed on a concrete base.

66
Logs
43
Divers
19.0 m
⌀ Depth
23.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★☆ Isola Foradada Punta Timone

Located in the south-west of the island. The dive extends along the entire wall, until reaching and rounding the extreme tip. At 5mt a passage inside the rock leads back to the wall to return to the way just followed.

30
Logs
23
Divers
21.0 m
⌀ Depth
20.0 m
⌀ Visibility

★★★★★ Grotta delle Stalattiti

This cave formerly must have been a watercourse, which is evident from its smooth, eroded walls. Very old stalactites, now submerged, are present in the vaults and just after the entrance at 7 meters you can see the demarcatingline at the old sea level and a column stalactite of considerable size, see photo.

181
Logs
118
Divers
20.0 m
⌀ Depth
25.0 m
⌀ Visibility

Diving in Alghero

The caving in Alghero is dominated by the labyrinthine cave systems which wind their way through the Capo Caccia cliffs. Neptune Caves can be accessed by land as well as by sea. 

Other diving opportunities include a multitude of wrecks, strewn over the seabed, ranging in age from 30 to 2000+ years old. A number of sites offer the opportunity to see archaeological remains from the Roman era, scattered on the seafloor. Artefacts like amphorae (stone jars) and coins will make you feel as though you’re in an underwater museum!

The best Months to Dive in Alghero

Scuba diving in Alghero is possible year round due to the mild winters. Though the air temperature drops and the number of rainy days increases, the winter months (from November to April) still offer good diving. The water decreases to 16°C however, necessitating a thick wetsuit. 

The summer months, between May and October, are beautifully warm in Alghero. The water temperature is around 26°C and the days are long, hot and dry. The visibility is famous for being exceptional in Sardinia, sometimes exceeding 40m.

Statistics

Historical data and trends

Dive Activity & Environmental Conditions

Centers Map

POSEIDON DIVING CENTER

Via Porto Conte 79, 07041 Alghero, SS - ITA

Sandalia Diving Center

Via Zara 26, 07041 ALGHERO, SS - ITA

ALGHERO DIVERS

Via Galileo Galilei 90, 07041 Alghero, SS - ITA