Explore Ponza

Ponza is steeped in mystical mythology, which legend tells was Homer’s inspiration for the sorceress Circe’s island in his brilliant tale, ‘The Odyssey’. Bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea, situated in the province of Lazio in Italy, Ponza diving features pinnacles rising from the ocean’s depths, caves, as well as several wrecks.

Scuba diving in Ponza is accessible to everyone, with shallow sites ideal for beginners to wrecks which have sunk below 80 metres and are only accessible by rebreather. On Ponza, there are dive centres offering day trips as well as several hotels/dive resorts that provide access to the sea beneath the island’s astounding cliffs.

Upcoming Events

Ponza Island - Weekend

From October 30 to November 1, 2026, the island of Ponza will host an extraordinary diving weekend organized by ASD L’Aquila di Mare, ideal for divers of all levels and their companions. The event takes place on the largest of the islands in the Ponziane Archipelago, a renowned destination for the variety of its seabeds and the spectacular beauty of the central Tyrrhenian Sea coastline. Ponza offers a unique underwater environment, with rocky walls, natural caves, canyons, and picturesque dive sites, including formations such as Le Formiche, which slope down to a depth of over 50 meters and offer fascinating plays of light and underwater landscapes. Another major attraction is the Punta Papa Wreck (LST 349), a World War II vessel resting on the seabed at a depth of 25 meters. It is one of the island’s most photographed dive sites and is ideal for both technical and recreational exploration. The program includes daytime dives led by professionals, with all technical equipment provided for divers, and the opportunity to discover the rich Mediterranean fauna: groupers, scorpionfish, moray eels, octopuses, and, with a little luck, schools of barracuda. In addition to the dives, the event includes two nights’ accommodations in a hotel or apartment with breakfast, dinners at a restaurant, and round-trip ferry rides from Formia to Ponza. It’s the perfect opportunity to combine the diving experience with exploring one of the most popular destinations in the Tyrrhenian Sea, with its coastal landscapes and crystal-clear waters. For more information: Stefano - 333.1321563 - stefano@laquiladimare.it

L’Aquila di Mare, Viale Ovidio, 3, 67100, L’Aquila, AQ, ITA

October 30, 2026

$524.04

€460.00

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Diving in Ponza

Scuba diving in Ponza will find divers venturing the entire breadth of the island as well as to the nearby islands, Palmarola and Zannone. Diving sites range from shallow seabeds littered with intriguing rock formations and caves, such as ‘Gavi’, - which are ideal for novice divers - to walls, such as ‘Punta Papa’ which stretch to 40 metres deep. There are wrecks like the ‘Landing Ship Tank’ which is accessible for advanced divers to witness its cannons and machine guns while rebreather divers can head beyond 80 metres at ‘Wreck LCM’.

Ponza’s crystal clear waters and range of sites make it the ideal place to embark on a dive course, from the very beginner to learning how to use a rebreather.

Dive Centers

Ponza Diving Center

Via Banchina di Fazio SNC, 04027 Isola di Ponza, LT - Italy

Odissey Diving Ponza

Via Sindaco de Luca SNC, 04027 Ponza, LT - Italy

Dive Sites

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Faraglioni di Punta della Madonna <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.1)</span>

Faraglioni di Punta della Madonna (★4.1)

As soon as you leave the port of Ponza, after having passed the Grotte di Pilato, you will find the Faraglioni di Punta della Madonna which offer both wall and cave diving starting from a depth of 4 meters and suitable for everyone. The site is easily accessible by dinghy.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Secca dei mattoni <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★3.8)</span>

Secca dei mattoni (★3.8)

Located between Ponza and Palmarola, the Secca dei Mattoni is an important site in terms of archeology since an ancient Roman ship sank right here. Even today there are amphorae, finds from the Roman era and a Bourbon anchor. The site can be reached in a short time with a dinghy.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Relitto LST 349 - Prua <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.2)</span>

Relitto LST 349 - Prua (★4.2)

This place is located in the western part of Ponza, it offers a wall full of life at the base of it lies the bow of the shipwreck from the Second World War, lying in navigation trim at a depth of 30 meters, divided into two parts and partly penetrable . Reachable by dinghy.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Grotta della Maga Circe & Grotta di Capo Bianco <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.8)</span>

Grotta della Maga Circe & Grotta di Capo Bianco (★4.8)

To the west of the island, among the white limestone cliffs, are the caves of Maga Circe and Capobianco, where with only mask and fins and accompanied by ODISSEY DIVING's dinghy, one can observe stupendous plays of light and crystal clear water.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Relitto Kastell Luanda <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.0)</span>

Relitto Kastell Luanda (★4.0)

Located in Cala dell'Acqua, on the west face of the island, the wreck lies at a depth of 6m. It is not buoyant and cannot be penetrated but both the propeller and rudder can be seen. Perfect site for Try scuba and snorkeling, conveniently reached by ODISSEY DIVING dinghy.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Faro della Guardia di Levante <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.0)</span>

Faro della Guardia di Levante (★4.0)

We are located in the southernmost point of the island, where Mount Guardia ends on the sea and you can see the Faro della Guardia, important for sea and air navigation. Given the geography of the place there are often currents along the walls. Site accessible by dinghy.

Ponza Diving Center, 04027 Isola di Ponza

Secca di Mezzogiorno <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★0.0)</span>

Secca di Mezzogiorno (★0.0)

More than a mile from the stacks rises the last reef of the Secca di Mezzogiorno with cap at - 42 meters and descends to 85 meters. Challenging dive to do in open circuit but with certain mixtures it is possible to observe the wonder of this shoal. Recommended for rebreather owners.

Odissey Diving Ponza, 04027 Ponza

Relitto LST 349 - Poppa <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.2)</span>

Relitto LST 349 - Poppa (★4.2)

Place located in the western part of Ponza, the stern of the shipwreck from the Second World War lying in navigation trim at a maximum depth of 19 meters and partly penetrable. The propeller and engine are still visible. Also suitable for Open Water Divers. Reachable by dinghy.

Mares

Faro della Guardia di Ponente <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.1)</span>

Faro della Guardia di Ponente (★4.1)

We are at the southernmost point of the island, where Mount Guardia ends up on the sea and you can observe the Guardia di Ponente lighthouse, important for maritime and air navigation. Given the geography of the place, there are often currents along the walls.

Aqualung

Parata di Punta Madonna <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.2)</span>

Parata di Punta Madonna (★4.2)

The Punta Madonna parade is the wall behind Punta Madonna, a real natural swimming pool where you can take courses, discoveries or take a dive in total relax. Characterized by stacks and walls with a maximum depth of 17 metres.

Mares

Scoglio Rosso <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.0)</span>

Scoglio Rosso (★4.0)

Located just outside the port of Ponza, in front of the Grotte di Pilato, the SCOGLIO ROSSO offers walls full of life for both advanced and more expert divers. It is possible to reach the site very comfortably with a dinghy.

Mares

Cigliata di Punta Papa <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★5.0)</span>

Cigliata di Punta Papa (★5.0)

A few hundred meters from Punta Papa, from 40 meters, there is this colorful wall. The dive, depending on the depth, takes place along the wall with crevices and dens. Generally you make a multilevel dive with times ranging from 45 to 60 minutes in the water; this is also thanks to the vast plateau at 5 mt.

Mares

Secca di Punta Papa <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.4)</span>

Secca di Punta Papa (★4.4)

’SECCA DI PUNTA PAPA’ is one of the most exciting dives from a morphological point of view and rich in biodiversity. It is a rocky and sheer wall located outside the bay of Cala Feola. dive off curve and quite demanding (top of the shoal at -32 m). Suitable for open circuit and CCR users.

Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Gavi <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★4.3)</span>

Gavi (★4.3)

L’isola di Gavi is located at 120 mt from Ponza: it outlines a cliff morphologically varied but without obvious landmarks, characterized by passages, little caves and about three meters deep a long cave, which penetrates obliquely into the mountain for about 50 meters flowing into a dark chamber.

Mares, Janez Kranjc

Scoglio Grosso <span class="text-color-primary text-sm"> (★3.8)</span>

Scoglio Grosso (★3.8)

SCOGLIO GROSSO is situated between Ponza and Zannone: it offers a very nice and suggestive dive site, characterized by caves and wall full of marine organisms. it can be reached very easily by boats and dinghy

The best Months to Dive in Ponza

The prime dive season in Ponza is from April through to October, with the busiest month likely to be August. Expect a minimum water temperature of around 14℃ in the winter months, from January through to March, while in the summer, from July through to September, temperatures can reach a maximum of 26℃. If you are braving the cold in winter remember to don a thicker wetsuit!

Top Wildlife Sightings in Ponza

Camouflaged in seagrass meadows, which are important refuges for juvenile reef fish, pony needlefish flit around and a wide variety of crustaceans rest on the sandy seafloor. On the sand, red mullet, scallop fish, and the lizardfish relax while in caves, it is possible to observe swarms of greater shrimp merging in the dark rooms. Groupers shelter behind the submerged boulders while observing out into the blue, snapper and sea bream patrol.

At wall sites, moray eels hide within the many ravines and burrows and Mediterranean lobsters sit sedentarily flaunting their giant claws. Scorpionfish are often seen stationed on wrecks and rocky outcrops.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content