Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wall · Cave & cavern
Dragone
A submerged tunnel through the rock at 18 m
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
A large rock face that runs down into the sea and is crossed by way of a submerged tunnel at about 18 metres, after which the ground slopes away as a wall. It stays shallow enough to suit beginners while still giving experienced divers a proper swim-through, and the rock carries corals, sponges and jewel anemones.
Where it is and how deep
44.3019° N, 9.1682° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is built around a big rock face that runs down into the sea. You follow it to the tunnel, a submerged passage that takes you through the rock at about 18 metres — the deep point of the dive and the reason people come. It is short, and it opens out again on the far side, where the ground carries on sloping away as a wall below you.
Past the tunnel the dive is a wall swim and the interest is in what covers the rock: corals, sponges and jewel anemones across the face. The site is described as suitable for beginners and the profile supports that, at 18 metres and no depth to chase, while more experienced divers get more out of the passage and the wall below it. Come back along the same face to finish the dive shallow.
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 | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
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
- The tunnel is an overhead passage, short but still overhead: follow the guide through one diver at a time and keep your fins clear of the walls.
Sources
- Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)
- Dragone dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Portofino Marine Reserve
Wall
Probably the finest red coral colony in the reserve
Wall
Rare false black coral on the points at 50 m
Cave & cavern
Three caves, the deepest at 30–35 m ringed with red coral
A 2.5 m bronze Christ standing on the seabed at 17 m
Red coral and lobster on the rocks out towards open water
Wall
A shrimp-filled cave at 37 m under a rock headland
Large red gorgonians on the slope under the lighthouse
Green ball algae at 12–20 m, nudibranchs on the deep wall
Similar dives elsewhere
Sea stacks five minutes from port: a wall from 4 m to 20 m, an arch and a swim-through
A hundred metres of wall strung with arches facing the blue
A walk-in wall at 3–22 m used for courses and night dives
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