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Diving and scuba diving

There is a wide selection of sea beds and what you can find: sandbanks, crumbled rocks, sheer drops, shipwrecks

For scuba diving lovers, the sea in Elba is more or less a dream come true. Sea, snorkelling and scuba diving lovers will all find a hidden treasure on the sea bed: sandbanks, crumbling rocks, grottoes, shipwrecks and sheer drops deep down that are home to many coloured forms of life that will take your breath away.

In Pomonte, at a depth of only 12 metres, you can swim down to the Elviscot shipwreck that lies near the Ogliera Rock; another wonderful experience, opposite Portoferraio, will be if you go down to a depth of 38 metres and see the wreck of the Junker, a plane from the Second World War discovered only recently.

Do not miss out on going scuba diving in the Scoglietto, opposite Le Ghiaie beach in Portoferraio; since 1971, this has been made an environment protection area, so it won't be difficult for you to image what wonders you can find around the sheer drop that goes down as far as 25 metres.

Regardless of where you go down you will never be disappointed. The scuba diving areas can only be reached by sea, and there is certainly no shortage of boats at all the diving centres in Elba; they are all well organised and the instructors are all experts, so rest assured you will have a wonderful time and be able to go scuba diving in complete safety.

Once you get to Elba, books and brochures with detailed descriptions with GPS information of the best places to go scuba diving can be found in any good bookshop, newsagents, or diving centre.

In the meantime dive into the Infoelba pages on scuba diving...they will give you a taste of what awaits you in the sea around the island of Elba.

Scuba diving routes on the Island of Elba

Suggestions at various levels of scuba diving on the sea bed of the Island of Elba, by Stefano Mazzei.

Le Cernie landslide

Going scuba diving at the Scoglietto means swimming in an environment protection area where most of the Mediterranean sea flora and fauna can be found.

I Grottoni - Scoglietto

Scuba diving in the Grottoni dello Scoglietto enables you to see the entrances to the grottos covered in yellow sponges with lobsters and nudibranches inside.

Statue of Christ - Scoglietto

At only a little less than fifty metres below the surface you will be able to admire a row of rocks covered in beautiful red sea fans.

Santa Lucia Sandbank

The Santa Lucia Sandbank is made up of three, different sized rock formations that you absolutely must go and explore.

Scoglio della Nave (Capo Enfola)

The scoglio della Nave is home to snappers, sea bream, spirogrya, noble pen shells, groupers, eels, yellow sea fans and parazoanthus

Semaforo sand bank

Here you have the chance to admire beautiful, red sea fans, sponges, lobsters and many other fish that swim by

Punta della Madonna

A wall that goes down as far as 37 metres below the surface, an area very rich in benthic life, where you will see crawfish, European congers and Moray eels.

Formiche della Zanca

A large rock more than 40 metres below the surface where you will see many groupers, sea breams, amberjacks and bonitos, as well as beautiful red sea fans.

The Elviscott shipwreck

The Elviscot shipwreck is near the Scoglio dell'Ogliera in Pomonte, Island of Elba, and is there just waiting to be explored.

Santa Rita shipwreck

Sunk in 1946 due to having hit a mine that had been missed when demining was carried out after the war.

Punta di Fetovaia

Large rocks that have crumbled into the sea make the perfect habitat for small groupers, sea breams, saddled breams and salpas.

Secca di Fetovaia

A wall of rocks that plunges down into the deep blue sea where octopus, conger eels and redfish have made their homes in the cracks and crevices.

Secca di Capo Poro

Since you will be swimming very far down we advise only expert scuba divers to attempt it

Scoglio della Triglia

The Scoglio della Triglia is famous thanks to the statue of the Madonna that fishermen placed there in 1970

Secca di capo Fonza

The sandbank is approximately a hundred metres from the coast of Capo Fonza (Campo nell'Elba)

Corals on the outside

Sandbank whose tip is 45 m below the surface, with red sea fans, nudibranchs, spirographs and tiny branches of red coral in the grotto at the end of the wall.

Corbella rock

Divided into two, the southern part with red coral, groupers, moray eels and red and yellow sea fans, while the northern part is more suited to experts.

Scoglio che bara

A shipwreck of a small, wooden motorboat lies on the seabed

Punta Morcone

The name comes from the tip of the rock where you start, at a depth of 3 m below the surface and goes as far down as 40 m

Punta della Focacciola

On the eastern side of the sandbank there is a monument dedicated to Jacques Mayol, the first man to go free diving down to a depth of 100 metres.

Corbelli Rock

You will often see dentexes, sunfish and barracudas round Corbelli Rock in Capoliveri, near Innamorata beach.

Remaiolo rock

Here you can go scuba diving and follow one of two routes: you can either swim round the rock or, if you prefer, follow the steep wall down to a depth of 55 m

Ripalti

The most beautiful aspects of scuba diving here are the magnificent walls of the sand bed and the chance of seeing large groupers.

Punta Galera

A line of rocks that goes in a south-east direction from the coast, with a tip at a depth of between 7 and 10 metres and goes as far down as 25 metres.

Punta le Forbici

Scuba diving here is between Punta Galera and Punta Bianca, right under the old Ginevro mine.

Picchi di Pablo

The name comes from the two tips of the vertical rock that sits on a sandy sea bed and goes down to a depth of 35 m.

Capo Calvo - Sassi Neri

Huge rocks covered in a bed of beautiful red sea fans and sea whips.

Punta Nera - Plane wreck

Scuba diving here is easy and quick but with the added joy of seeing a suggestive plane wreck,

Punta delle Cannelle

Enchanting grottos where you can admire both red and yellow sea fans, sponges, groupers, sea breams and corvina drums.

Cerboli

Thanks to where the tiny island of Cerboli sits, scuba diving here is more suited to divers of a certain level.

Secca del Frate - Palmaiola

Since you are scuba diving in the middle of the channel of Piombino, currents here can often be very strong, so please be very careful.

Ancorone di Capo Vita

Scuba diving here is best if you are a skilled diver because since it is very long you will need to calculate very carefully your time on the sea bed.

Secca di Capo Vita

Beautiful grottos and deep cracks covered in many different colours of sponges and parazoanthus make scuba diving here a joy for photography lovers.

Bettolina shipwreck

Scuba diving here is better if you are a technical diver with already some knowledge of deep shipwrecks.

Deep sea diving in Pianosa

Deep sea diving in the biology protection area and free areas in the sea around Pianosa.

Buoy SP2

Scuba diving at the Buoy SP2, where each time you will discover a new and different route.

Buoy SP3

Scuba diving at the Buoy SP3, famous for the manta rays you can see here

SP4 Buoy

Scuba diving near the SP4 buoy, where the bottom of the sea consists of a lush field of mediterranean tapeweed, russet and green seaweed, sponges and bryozoa.

Buoy SP5

Scuba diving at the buoy SP5 means going through numerous grottos whose access is both easy and wide.

Buoy SP6

Scuba diving in the Buoy SP6, characterized by the canyons and grottos that are covered in very colourful fauna and flora.

Buoy SP7

Unbelievable yellow and red Gorgonias are icing on the cake of this scuba diving area at the SP7 Buoy.

Secca dell'Ancorone

Scuba diving on one of the sandbanks in the free area of the sea around Pianosa.

Scuba diving in Capraia

Rules as regards both guided and individual scuba diving within the marine park

Airplane sea shoal

The uniqueness of this area for scuba diving is due both to the airplane wreck, and also the typical coral organisms on the wall

Punta della Fica

The scuba diving here caters for every level of experience and is also perfect for night dives.

Punta della Civitata

Punta Civitata gives you the chance to do any type of scuba diving; it is perfect for all types.

Lo Scoglione

This is one of the most loved scuba diving routes in Capraia, perfect for every level of experiebce

Secca del Turco

Without a doubt this is the most spectacular area for scuba diving in Capraia, but it's better if only expert scuba divers tackle it.

Scuba diving in Giannutri

Scuba diving at the mooring points listed by the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

Punta San Francesco

The scuba diving is near the full protection zone in the sea protected area of Giannutri

Punta Secca

Scuba diving here enables you to observe many different species of fish like John Dory and basket stars, whose photoraphs are very popular among scuba divers

Punta Secca shoal

This is one of the most interesting scuba diving routes, full of the life of the island of Giannutri, and is perfect for all licence levels

The Arches

Typical scuba diving that consists of numerous natural arches and narrow siphons that create suggestive passages and light illusions.

Le Cerniette

The beauty of scuba diving here is the fact that it is carried out amidst huge rocks from where huge groupers peep out.

Grotto Cove

Scuba diving here is suitable for all licence levels and is particularly suggestive if you do nightime scuba diving.

Punta di Cala Ischiaiola

Scuba diving here is at the far south of Cala Ischiaiola just outwith zone 1 of the marine park.

Punta Scaletta

Scuba diving here is suitable for any level of experience because you can choose the maximum depth along the wall that you intend reaching.

Beach ordinance

Beach safety ordinance for the Island of Elba, drawn up by the Coast Guards of Portoferraio.

Advice

Advice for going scuba diving on the Island of Elba in complete safety and freedom, all year round.

Diving centres

Expert underwater guides from the diving centres in Elba will go with you when you go down, whether you're a beginner or an expert.

Rental and refilling

Shops where you can rent scuba diving equipment in Elba: where you can hire and refill aqualungs.

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