Portofino Marine Reserve, the area around Altare

Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wall

Altare

Probably the finest red coral colony in the reserve

Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0

A deep canyon in the seabed, coated by what is probably the finest red coral colony in the area. The mouth of the fissure is at about 30 metres and the ground goes past 50, which makes this one of the most demanding dives in the reserve, and mooring is limited to one boat at a time. Lobster, nudibranchs and brown grouper live around it.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Altare: typical dive 30–50 m (100–164 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit30 m50 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

44.3055° N, 9.1969° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The site is a deep canyon in the rock and the whole dive is organised around it. The mouth of the fissure sits at about 30 metres, so you are already deep when the dive proper begins, and the ground inside drops past 50 — depth, more than anything technical, is what makes this one of the more demanding dives in the reserve. Only experienced divers get down to the entrance at all.

What is down there is red coral, in a colony that is probably the finest in the area, covering the canyon. Around it you find lobster, nudibranchs and brown grouper, with gorgonians on the surrounding rock. Divers who do not want the depth can sometimes see part of that cast on a shallower profile above the canyon — less coral, but the same animals. Mooring is restricted to one boat at a time, so the site is quiet while you have it.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
  • Nudibranchs
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Altare
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Season follows Portofino Marine Reserve: May–Oct is the settled season; visibility is often best in late autumn, and winter storms close the exposed southern walls.

Know before you go

  • Fifty metres and beyond is narcosis and decompression ground on air; the canyon mouth at 30 metres is a sensible hard limit for most divers.

Sources

  1. Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)

More dive sites in Portofino Marine Reserve

Wall

Casa del Sindaco

Rare false black coral on the points at 50 m

30–50 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Colombara

Three caves, the deepest at 30–35 m ringed with red coral

10–30 m · max 36 mintermediate

Artificial reef

Cristo degli Abissi

A 2.5 m bronze Christ standing on the seabed at 17 m

12–17 m · max 30 mbeginner

Wall

Dragone

A submerged tunnel through the rock at 18 m

to 18 mbeginner

Wall

Grotta dell'Eremita

Red coral and lobster on the rocks out towards open water

to 30 mintermediate

Wall

Punta Chiappa

A shrimp-filled cave at 37 m under a rock headland

25–37 m · max 50 madvanced

Wall

Punta del Faro

Large red gorgonians on the slope under the lighthouse

16–40 madvanced

Wall

Punta dell'Indiano

Green ball algae at 12–20 m, nudibranchs on the deep wall

12–20 m · max 45 mbeginner

Similar dives elsewhere

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Colorado

Golfe de Valinco · France

A north-south drop-off from a 5 m rock head into 45 m

5–45 madvanced

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Garden

Kornati Islands · Croatia

A step at 30 m falling to a fan-coral plateau at 45 m

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Cap de Formentor

Mallorca · Spain

Vertical walls to 50 m with barracuda schools and hunting amberjack

to 50 madvanced

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Faraglioni di Punta della Madonna

Ponza & the Pontine Islands · Italy

Sea stacks five minutes from port: a wall from 4 m to 20 m, an arch and a swim-through

4–20 mintermediate