Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wall · Reef
Punta Chiappa
A shrimp-filled cave at 37 m under a rock headland
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
A rocky headland that runs out into the sea with dive-able ground on both flanks, worked at around 25 metres. The rock is broken into boulders and fissures that hold grouper and other large fish, and at 37 metres there is a submerged cave full of shrimp. Deeper still the slope gives way to detritus flats.
Where it is and how deep
44.3175° N, 9.1354° EPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
Punta Chiappa is a rocky point that juts out into the sea, and the seabed falls away on both sides of it, so the dive is picked according to which flank is sheltered. Most of the diving happens at around 25 metres, along rock broken into large boulders and fissures. Those cracks are where the fish are: grouper and other large fish hold station in them, and it pays to work slowly and look into the shadows rather than swim the rock at pace.
Below that, at about 37 metres, there is a submerged cave populated by a great number of shrimp, the deep set piece of the site and a hard turn-around point for anyone on air. Keep descending past the rock and it gives way to detritus flats, soft ground with its own cast of animals: striped sea bream and red mullet feed over it. Offshore of the point the bottom continues to around 50 metres, which is where the Roman material lies, well past recreational limits.
Background
Punta Chiappa has a place in the history of Italian diving: offshore of the point, in 1959, the pioneer diver Duilio Marcante found Roman-era remains at about 50 metres. That depth puts the find far below the profile divers run here today, but it is part of why the point is listed on the reserve's own dive map as a site of historical as well as natural interest.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Macro critters
| 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 cave at 37 metres and the ground beyond it are well past no-stop limits on air; fix a turn depth before you drop in.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the dive at Punta Chiappa?+
The usual profile is around 25 metres along the rock on either side of the point. A submerged cave full of shrimp sits at 37 metres, and the ground offshore continues to about 50 metres, where Roman remains were found in 1959 — that is technical depth, not part of a recreational dive.
Sources
- Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)
- Punta Chiappa dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Portofino Marine Reserve
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Large red gorgonians on the slope under the lighthouse
Green ball algae at 12–20 m, nudibranchs on the deep wall
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