Dive trip Syracuse Marine Park, parco marino del plemmirio

Swimming, diving, snorkelling and apnea in Italy in Syracuse Marine Park, parco marino del plemmirio

Swim, dive, and snorkel around the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily! This arid land, where Europe's highest active volcanoes rub shoulders with the most beautiful ancient remains, promises you an enriching holiday in Italy! Take the opportunity to visit the Byzantine mosaics of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo or go hiking on the slopes of Mount Etna! Take a ferry or sailboat north to the Aeolian archipelago, northwest to the small island of Ustica, west through the Aegadian archipelago, or head south to the Pelagian archipelago. The best way to do this is to take a boat out to the beaches, coves, and caves, which are often only accessible by sea. The crystal-clear turquoise water will surprise you everywhere. You can also organize your diving trip in Sicily, around Syracuse. Just 10 km away is the Plemmirio Marine Park, which protects the underwater world's prolific fauna.

Covering 14.35 km of coastline along the Maddalena peninsula, the Plemmirio Marine Reserve encompasses the promontory bordering the town of Syracuse. A magnificent playground awaits you, with 2,429 hectares of protected emerald-green sea at the foot of the cliffs. Underwater, enjoy the tormented landscapes specific to this volcanic architecture made up of lava flows, arches, karstic caverns, and hot springs. Plemmirio's underwater routes are interesting, fun, and not too difficult for beginner divers. There are nine different access points to the Plemmirio Reserve, divided into two main zones, A and B. Zone A, the most protected part of the reserve, has some restrictions. Here you can enjoy some of Sicily's finest diving at the Grotta del Formaggio, Grotta del Capo, Secca del Capo, Three Anchors, and Giant's Tongue.

Dives in Zone B of the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area boast some of the most interesting dive sites in the Syracuse Sea, including Gli Archi, Costone di Capo Meli, Stalattiti, and Corvine. Swim among schools of barracuda, white bream, amberjacks, and groupers, and macro enthusiasts will appreciate the presence of nudibranchs. Depending on the season, it's not uncommon to see rays, dolphins, and even the occasional shark or sperm whale. Do you like unusual dives? Admire man-made sculptures such as the bronze mermaid created in memory of Rossana Maiorca or the plaster Madonnina, placed here to protect the sea. In 2004, the Plemmirio Protected Area became the Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Interest (ASPIM) because of its rich biodiversity and fauna. Incredible archaeological and historical discoveries have been made here, including amphorae, anchors, and relics from the last world war, as the Syracuse coast was the gateway to the Hellenic East.

Marine species in the area

Dive sites

Go for an easy dive at Lo Zen Diving Syracuse, in 18 m of water, with good visibility. You'll follow the coastline and admire a very wide arch. The underwater walk to the Grotte du Cyclope is also very pleasant, along with a drop-off. You can also explore the area by snorkelling to see starfish, sea urchins and wrasse. Listen to the voice of the Cyclops in the cave. Watch the sun's rays filter through the cave's rocky crevices. At Lo Spuntone, descend quietly along the rock face to reach a large cavern. Immerse yourself in the Chinese Wall, suitable for all levels of divers, between 20 and 55 metres. Some stop to contemplate the cave walls covered in yellow and orange sponges. Others continue their descent into the deep blue, covering a further 35 metres. Look in the holes for moray eels and lobsters. Currents and poor visibility can be a problem at I Ruttazzi, a drop-off plunging to 25 metres, with crevices lined with Mostella.

At La Tonnara, walk along a drop-off up to 30 metres deep, dotted with large fissures, through-holes and several very large caves. The play of light and the colour of the cave fauna will appeal to underwater photographers. Called Tre ancore, The Three Anchors, this site features three large admiral-type anchors on the seabed, one on top of the other. Rumour has it that they belonged to the Tonnara di Terrauzza. Here, two courses are defined, at 23 metres for the green course and 36 metres for the red course. Drained by current, the Secca del Capo, located in zone A, enjoys a profusion of life and translucent water. Visible from the surface, this shoal on the Cape rises to 13 metres and falls to 33 metres, and is home to pelagic fish, barracudas, groupers and sars. Located in Zone A, Grotta del Capo is a marvel of light. In fact, there are two caves with walls colonised by sponges, bryozoans and sea daisies. There is often a current along the drop-off, which drops to a depth of 30 metres. The Grotta del Capo? is actually three caves that you can enter. Their three large openings rise to a height of 10 m, almost to the surface.

The first two caves are close together. The third cave is around ten metres away, inside the rock. With no bifurcations and a rocky bottom, these caves can be explored by beginner divers. To explore the Grotte del Formaggio, located in Zone A, take the green route to a depth of 20 metres, and the red route to a depth of 28 metres. Pass through a tunnel that slopes gently down from 9 to 19 metres. Contemplate its vault, carpeted with sea sponges, bryozoans and sea daisies. Sea cicadas have taken up residence here. To reach Grotte delle Corvine, in zone B, swim over rocky ridges covered in yellow madrepores and false red coral to reach a depth of 30 metres. To the southwest, lined with luminous white sand, the immense entrance to the Grotte delle Corvine is lit up by a beautiful play of lights. Corbs guard the entrance. Situated along the coast in zone B, the Grotte delle Stalattiti opens out in the middle of a drop-off. Imberbis apogons flit about. Mimetic red scorpion fish hide on the walls. Hermit crabs drag their shells along the sediment. Solitary mostelles stand motionless, watching you pass by. Several very large caves full of light and colour are also open to you.

Ascend to a depth of 30 metres and admire a pretty spectacle of orange madrepores and purple-red starfish, amidst which schools of sea bream stroll leisurely. To explore Gli Archi, in zone B, there are two possible itineraries: the green, where you descend to 20 metres, and the red, at 26 metres. Ancient remains have been discovered on the Arches site. These include a bronze statue of a mermaid with a woman's face, in homage to Rossana Maiorca, the daughter of Enzo Maiorca, the great Syracuse freediving champion. Under one of the arches is a statue of a Madonna. The walls of these arches are covered with red, orange, white and yellow sea sponges and Neptune's lace. Capo Meli, in zone B, has two itineraries, green at a depth of 20 metres and red at 25 metres. Here you can explore a cave with a semi-circular opening, full of life and colour.

Above, schools of barracuda swim with the divers. Numerous octopuses ripple along the seabed between Posidonia and patches of sand at a depth of 12 m. In zone A, Lingua del Gigante has a green course where you descend to 22 metres and a red course where you reach 30 metres. A long ridge of white rock descends from 12 to 25 metres and then merges into the environment at around 30 metres. To the east, as you take the drop off to your left, a magnificent cave opens up like a big door into the deep blue. Inside the cave, admire the alternating light and shadow and look out for the shrimp antennae on the walls. Outside the cave, you'll be thrilled to discover amphorae and the remains of an ancient shipwreck. Linger around a large circular rock with many cracks, culminating at 18 m and resting at 27 m. Sars, parrot fish, octopus and moray eels.

Dive trip Syracuse Marine Park, parco marino del plemmirio

Swimming, diving, snorkelling and apnea in Italy in Syracuse Marine Park, parco marino del plemmirio

Dive sites

Others Activities

Syracuse Marine Park, parco marino del plemmirio : Dive shops

Sea creatures