Capri is a limestone island on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, dived by boat from Marina Grande and from Sorrento on the mainland. The signature dive runs down the steep wall below the Faraglioni stacks to sand at 32 m, and one of the stacks can be crossed underwater. Punta Carena's ridge and gorgonian walls give the island its most serious diving, and most dives span about 5 to 32 m.
About diving in Capri
Almost all diving on Capri is from boats out of Marina Grande, with group trips working two or three sites a day around the island. A centre on the island runs guided dives for experienced divers to walls, caves, wrecks and ancient ruins around the coast. Boats also cross from Sorrento on the mainland, where a centre folds Capri into a range that includes the Punta Campanella reserve and the Amalfi Coast.
At the Faraglioni a wall falls from the landward stack to a sandy floor at 32 m, and one of the stacks can be passed through both at the surface and underwater. Off the south-western tip, Punta Carena is a rocky ridge running several hundred metres out to sea and reaching depth quickly. Its wall is thick with coralligenous growth and gorgonians, and at its base a large pylon lies on the sand, covered in sponges, tunicates and red and two-tone gorgonians and ringed by thousands of anthias.
Capri suits divers who want a few dives as part of a holiday on the island, and those after steep Mediterranean walls hung with gorgonians. Punta Carena is a different proposition: strong current is common and boats pass constantly overhead, which limits it to very experienced divers, while the pylon below it lies at technical depths and is reserved for technical divers.
Best time to dive Capri
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Winter diving goes on but the water is cold, 14 to 15°C (57 to 59°F), and most operators cut their schedules back. The season proper opens in May and runs through October. June to September is the peak: warm water, the best visibility and the full range of sites reachable by boat, and summer is when sunfish turn up at Punta Carena. The same summer brings heavy boat traffic, and the Faraglioni is better avoided then. July and August are the island's most crowded months.
Dive types & marine life
Sunfish (Mola mola) can be met in summer on the Punta Carena pylon dive, where thousands of anthias surround the pylon beyond 50 m. Recreational dives at Punta Carena pass through a profusion of red and yellow gorgonians.
- Wall
- Mola mola
- Reef fish swarms
Best dive sites in Capri
- 1
Faraglioni
The famous stacks, one of which can be crossed underwater, over a steep wall down to sand at 32 m
- 2
Punta Carena
A rocky ridge shaped like an upturned hull, often swept by strong current; for very experienced divers
- 3
Traliccio di Punta Carena
Technical dive to a large pylon on sand from beyond 50 m to 62 m, wrapped in thousands of anthias
- 4
Salto di Tiberio
A wall dive from a small bay below the cliff from which, in legend, Tiberius had unwanted slaves thrown into the sea
Site guides
Swim through one of Capri's famous stacks underwater
Gorgonian-lined clefts on a ridge shaped like an upturned hull
Wall
A wall dive below the cliff of Tiberius' legend
A sunken lighthouse antenna ringed by thousands of anthias
How to get to Capri
Naples International Airport (Capodichino) serves Naples, and ferries run daily to Capri from Naples, about 20 a day taking 40 minutes, and from Sorrento, about 15 a day taking 30 minutes, with others from Amalfi and Positano. Dive boats leave from Marina Grande on the island, and a Sorrento centre runs boats across from the mainland.
Photos from Capri
hu:User:Pilgab · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Underwater in Capri · Tim Grey on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When is the best time to dive Capri?+
June to September brings warm water, the best visibility and every site in reach by boat. The season runs May to October; in winter the water drops to 14 to 15°C (57 to 59°F) and most operators reduce their schedules.
How do divers get to Capri?+
Fly into Naples and take one of the daily ferries, a 40-minute crossing from Naples or 30 minutes from Sorrento. Dive boats leave from Marina Grande on the island, and a Sorrento centre also runs boats across from the mainland.
What certification does Punta Carena need?+
Punta Carena is for very experienced divers because strong current is often present and boats pass constantly. The pylon at its foot lies beyond 50 m and reaches 62 m, so it is a technical dive.
Can sunfish be seen on Capri?+
Sunfish (Mola mola) can be met in summer on the Punta Carena pylon dive, which lies beyond 50 m and is reserved for technical divers.
Sources
- Diving Centre - Capri Sea Service — Capri Sea Service
- Capri Sea Service — capri.net
- Punta Campanella Diving Sorrento — Punta Campanella Diving
- Punti di immersione AMP Punta Campanella, Banco Santa Croce e Capri — Punta Campanella Diving
- 51-Capri, Faraglioni — Centro Sub Pozzuoli
- Capri Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Capri — Wikivoyage
- Naples — Wikivoyage
- Capri Diving Guide — Tripbase
- The marine park to Capri, Punta Campanella — Divingaway
Photo credits
- A person in a dark wetsuit, mask and red snorkel floating in blue water in front of a pale limestone cliff. by hu:User:Pilgab, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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