Catania & the Cyclops Islands

A diving day here runs out of Catania, Aci Castello or Aci Trezza and stays short-range. Almost every itinerary goes by boat — even L'Antico Macello, in the water right off the Aci Castello promenade, is dived only by boat — while Faraglione Piccolo can be entered from shore for a night dive. Il Faro Diving boards at fixed times through the day, and the Terni wreck sits a few minutes' boat ride off Catania. Group diving inside the protected area must go through centres authorised by the reserve, and the strip around Isola Lachea and Faraglione Grande, marked by five yellow buoys, is closed to scuba outright.

The ground is lava. Basalt outcrops, boulder landslides and sea stacks sit on mixed sand and rock mostly between 10 and 25 m, with the two lighthouse-side itineraries dropping to 40 m. Big morays and lobsters hold the crevices at I Panettoni; groupers, brown meagre and large octopus are resident at Casa del Principe; and Il Castello adds rays, torpedo rays, anglerfish and shy pearly razorfish over the sand. The Percorso Archeologico threads past eight ancient anchors, from the first century BC to admiralty types, on a line led by reserve staff.

The area suits divers based in or near Catania who want easy, protected rock diving with a wreck and a drift at the experienced end: six of the eight marked itineraries are rated easy, and L'Antico Macello and Faraglione Piccolo double as night dives. The summer drift at Punta Aguzza runs medium current and requires an experienced guide, and the Terni wreck at 38–42 m demands advanced and deep training.