Punta Castagna is a cape on Lipari where pumice from an ancient eruption has turned the seabed white. A shallow plateau gives way to steep gullies that cut down through a vertical wall, their rims lined with red gorgonians. Divers come for the contrast of blue water against white pumice and the light effects in the canyons.
Where it is and how deep
38.5212° N, 14.9624° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts on a plateau at about 10 m blanketed in white dust from the pumice quarries, the remains of an eruption long ago. From its edge, steep gullies run offshore and split the slope perpendicularly, so the descent follows a series of white canyons that fade into the blue and catch the light as they go.
The rims of the gullies carry branches of red gorgonians, and on the sand lower down more red fans stand in clouds of anthias. Resident groupers hold to the edges while passing fish cross the canyons; lobsters, bream and barracuda turn up often. The deepest part of the route reaches 40 m.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Aeolian Islands: Lipari's centre dives April to November and Vulcano's May to October; no month is singled out as best, and July and August are crowded.
Dive videos
Con Divingcenterlipari a Punta Castagna · Edi Burlon on YouTube
Immersione a Punta Castagna (Lipari, isole Eolie) - Barracuda, stelle marine, paguro... · AlEmaR on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does Punta Castagna need?+
The plateau sits at about 10 m, but the gullies that make the dive run down to 40 m, so the site calls for deep training rather than an entry-level card.
Sources
- Immersioni a Lipari — Diving Center La Gorgonia
- Exploring the depths: top 10 diving spots in Sicily — Il Giornale dei Marinai
- Diving and Snorkelling — VisitSicily
- Immersioni guidate — Diving Center La Gorgonia
Photo credits
- A hillside of white pumice spoil and quarry works dropping to a calm blue sea, with buildings along the shore by Unukorno, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Aeolian Islands
An upright British freighter with its propeller still in place
Two rocks whose tops show through the clear water from the surface
Similar dives elsewhere
The park's best-known walls, and a cave with an air pocket
A wall to nearly 40 m under a rock shaped like a lion's head
A south-facing canyon to 35 m with an old anchor at its base
Drop-off to 40 m with boulders and swim-throughs on an exposed cape