Mediterranean · Italy
Tavolara & La Maddalena
Pinnacles, walls and granite shoals in two protected marine areas
Northeast Sardinia holds two protected seascapes: the Tavolara and Punta Coda Cavallo marine protected area, and the La Maddalena archipelago off Palau. Both are dived by day boat. Around La Maddalena the granite forms boulder fields, drop-offs and swim-throughs. The sites include Secca del Papa's twin pinnacles at Tavolara, the Secca di Washington off Spargi and the spires of I Picchi on Caprera, with groupers and barracuda among the fish.
About diving in Tavolara & La Maddalena
Diving here is by boat. On the Tavolara side the centres work inside the marine protected area, at numerous points, 16 of them fitted with mooring buoys. From Palau most La Maddalena sites are a few minutes to 50 minutes out by boat, and Caprera's east coast is about 20 minutes from Cannigione. Grotta San Francesco on that coast is dived from the boat over a broad landscape, ending in a small cavern that rises from 12 m to 5 m.
Around La Maddalena the seabed is granite: boulder slides, drop-offs, overhangs and swim-throughs, and wide expanses of shallow, well-lit seabed that the current sweeps constantly. Moray and conger eels, scorpionfish, octopus, lobsters and a wide range of nudibranchs live on it, along with groupers. At Tavolara, yellow and red gorgonians grow on the Secca del Papa pinnacles.
Newer divers have plenty: the anchorage at Faro dei Monaci sits on a 5 m bottom suited to beginners, and Spalmatore runs from 5 to 20 m. Currents are generally mild and suit all levels. The big offshore shoals are the exception: Secca dei Monaci often has current and is dived as a drift, and the very extensive Secca di Spargiottello often runs with current too.
Best time to dive Tavolara & La Maddalena
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
January to March is the cold end of the year, with the sea at about 14 °C. Winter diving is possible, but seasonal currents and the mistral cut visibility, and winter is harder for less experienced divers. The main season runs from April to October. Summer is the most favourable stretch: visibility often passes 30 m (98 ft), and the sea is warmest in August, at about 25 °C.
Dive types & marine life
Groupers, morays, octopus and nudibranchs turn up across the archipelago. Schools of amberjack, bonito, barracuda and dentex are easiest to meet on the northern Caprera dives at I Picchi and Cala Inglese. Sunfish and eagle rays are among the sightings at Secca del Papa.
- Wall
- Reef
- Drift
- Wreck
- Cave & cavern
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Mola mola
- Eagle rays
Best dive sites in Tavolara & La Maddalena
- 1
Secca del Papa
Tavolara's twin pinnacles in open blue, a meeting point for many species.
- 2
Secca di Washington
Spargi shoal of tafoni-carved boulders at 6–25 m, with groupers, meagre and barracuda.
- 3
I Picchi
Two granite spires off Caprera rising to the surface, with an arch at 26 m.
- 4
Punta Coticcio
Caprera headland of boulder slopes and walls that reach white sand at 45 m.
- 5
Secca dei Monaci
Large reef from a 6 m top to 35–40 m, often run as a drift.
- 6
Motore dei Monaci
A large diesel engine at 23 m below a north-facing wall, sheltering congers and morays.
- 7
Secca di Spargiottello
A wall from 5 to 22 m covered in life.
- 8
Galera
Remains of a fishing boat and Roman amphorae at 15–30 m.
Site guides
A sheltered lighthouse cove with gorgonians below
Reef
A steep drop to 40 m from an anchorage off the Caprera Fjord
A south-running swim along the Caprera coast past a rockslide
Pinnacle
Twin granite spires breaking the surface, with an arch at 26 m
A full circuit of an offshore islet when the current eases
A large diesel engine sheltering congers and morays
A very wide shoal near Tahiti beach, with a buoy on 10 m
A buoyed reef from 6 m that can be dived as a drift
A gorgonian-clad pinnacle topping out at 15 m in open blue
The deeper twin of Tavolara's Papa shoal, beyond a sandy channel
How to get to Tavolara & La Maddalena
Flights arrive at Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport (OLB), and direct buses run from the airport to Palau. Ferries from Palau reach the town of La Maddalena in about 15 minutes, up to every half hour in season.
Questions divers ask
Can divers visit the Tavolara marine protected area without a dive centre?+
Not in Zone B. The Tavolara and Punta Coda Cavallo marine protected area was set up in 1997; in its Zone B diving is allowed only with authorised centres, and Secca del Papa only with authorised divers.
Where do boats dive when the mistral blows?+
The Bocche di Bonifacio is often rough under the prevailing westerly and mistral winds. Punta Coticcio on Caprera is fully sheltered from that sea and has no current.
Do boats from Palau also dive Corsica?+
Yes. Palau centres reach the Lavezzi islands on the Corsican side as well as the La Maddalena sites.
Sources
- http://www.divesardegna.com — divesardegna.com
- https://www.divesardegna.com/diving-palau-sardinia/ — divesardegna.com
- https://www.tavolaradiving.it/it/area-marina-protetta/ — tavolaradiving.it
- https://www.padi.com/dive-site/italy/secca-del-papa-2/ — padi.com
- https://www.scubaportal.it/?p=872 — scubaportal.it
- https://www.scubaportal.it/le-10-migliori-immersioni-subacquee-in-italia — scubaportal.it
- https://www.nauticassistance.com/discover-sardinia/la-maddalena/diving-spots — nauticassistance.com
- https://divessi.com/mydiveguide/destination/protected-marine-area-la-maddalena-9752350 — divessi.com
- https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/italy/la-maddalena-average.htm — seatemperature.org
- https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Sardinia — en.wikivoyage.org
- https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Olbia — en.wikivoyage.org
- https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maddalena_archipelago — en.wikivoyage.org
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