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Shimmering water rising past a pale rock crusted with bright green algae and dark red weed, underwater — Pantelleria

Pantelleria · Italy · Reef

Cala Gadir

A Roman anchor and Punic amphorae in an ancient harbour cove

Area photo: Waielbi · CC BY-SA 3.0

Cala Gadir is a cove that has sheltered ships since Roman times, and its floor is an underwater archaeological site. Divers come for a Roman anchor and a spread of Punic and Roman amphorae dating from the second century BC to the second century AD, set among a bottom rich in colour and fish life.

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Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Cala Gadir: typical dive 16–30 m (52–100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit16 m30 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

36.8122° N, 12.0254° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive descends slowly from 16 m to 30 m through the archaeological site. On the way down a Roman anchor and many Punic and Roman amphorae come into view among the colours of the bottom. Damselfish, white seabream, octopus, lobsters and moray eels are often met around the remains.

Background

Cala Gadir is known as the place where Roman ships took shelter since antiquity. The cove floor keeps the record of that traffic: a Roman anchor and a large number of Punic and Roman amphorae, dating from the second century BC to the second century AD, lie between 16 m and 30 m, making the cove one of the archaeological dives of Pantelleria.

Marine life and season

  • Octopus & cuttlefish
Month-by-month season rating for Cala Gadir
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFair

Season follows Pantelleria: The sea feels quite warm from June to October and cool from December to May; dives can be booked all year.

Dive videos

Itinerario culturale subacqueo di Cala Gadir a Pantelleria · sopmare on YouTube

DIVEX CALA GADIR 2015 PARCO MARINO · Girolamo Casano on YouTube

Questions divers ask

How deep are the amphorae at Cala Gadir?+

The amphorae and the Roman anchor are spread along a slow descent that starts at 16 m and ends at 30 m, so the dive passes them gradually rather than at a single depth.

Sources

  1. Immersioni a Pantelleria — Green Divers
  2. Immersioni - Dive-X — Dive-X Cala Gadir

More dive sites in Pantelleria

Wall

Punta Li Marsi

A Second World War mine at 32 m on a gently sloping wall

to 32 m · max 40 madvanced

Wall

Punta Rubasacchi

Tuna and skipjacks off a deep wall on the east coast

to 35 madvanced

Seamount

Secca di Campobello

Groupers and big moray eels on a current-swept shoal

12–38 madvanced

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