Egadi Islands · Italy · Wreck
Cala Minnola
Roman wine amphorae from the 1st century BC on sand and seagrass
An underwater archaeological site off Levanzo, where a Roman cargo ship sank in the 1st century BC a few hundred metres from the coast. What remains of its load of wine amphorae and its anchor stocks lies on sand and posidonia, making it the dive of choice for divers interested in underwater archaeology.
Also known as Cala Minnola wreck.
Where it is and how deep
37.9915° N, 12.3516° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Nothing of the hull survives. The wreck site is the scatter of about fifty amphorae and the stocks of the ship's anchors, lying between 27 and 30 m among sand and posidonia seagrass, together with fragments of black-painted ceramic pottery. The whole dive is spent at the deep end of the recreational range, moving between the amphorae.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Roman cargo ship (name unknown)
- Type
- Roman merchant ship
- Cause
- Sank a few hundred metres off the coast of Levanzo
- Lies
- Amphorae and anchor stocks scattered on sand and posidonia at 27 to 30 m
A Roman merchant ship carrying wine amphorae sank off Cala Minnola on Levanzo in the 1st century BC, a few hundred metres from the shore. Its wooden hull has gone, but around fifty amphorae and the stocks of its anchors remain on the seabed between Cala Minnola and Punta Altarella, with fragments of ceramic pottery decorated in black paint, and the site is visited as an underwater archaeological dive.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Egadi Islands: June to September is the best stretch across the islands, and Marettimo's best period runs from May to October.
Dive videos
Levanzo "il relitto di Cala Minnola" HD · Filippo Gennaro on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Cala Minnola amphora site need?+
The amphorae lie between 27 and 30 m, beyond the Open Water limit, so the dive needs Advanced Open Water or equivalent deep training.
Sources
- Immersioni a Favignana — Scubaportal
- Egadi: Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo — Visit Sicily
- Cala Minnola, Levanzo — OpenStreetMap
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