Diving in Villasimius

Secca S. Caterina

You start from the buoy, descending along the fiberglass pillar. Once you reach the bottom, take one of the canyons on the west side that descend steeply to a depth of 27-30 meters. You will find yourself in front of a large granite boulder and beyond, a granite expanse with small boulders. Continue keeping the wall on your left side where you notice large monoliths and a granite ridge. Follow along the entire ridge. After encountering other fragments of admiralty anchors, you find a saddle in the ridge where you pass through the middle. Reverse direction by 180 degrees, turning left until you reach a plain of small boulders and Posidonia seagrass, continuing and scanning the surface until you find the buoy again. Average duration 1 hour.

Dive tab

Position: approx. 1.2 M. South-West of Capo Carbonara; it is marked by a luminous beacon clearly visible during the day

Backdrop Type: Granitic

Difficulty: Medium-Low

Summer temperature: 18°

Current: Present after strong gusts, strong on the surface only near the beacon

Visibility: Excellent in all seasons

Points of interest: Presence of large admiralty-type anchors near the beacon; some caves rich in coralligenous; the deep canyons that descend steeply to the bottom.

Flora and fauna: On the south side of the buoy, there is a resident school of Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus alexandrinus). Occasionally, you might also encounter Amberjacks (Seriola dumerili), and very often Dentex and other large members of the Serranidae family (Epinephelus marginatus). Red Gorgonians (Paramuricea chamaeleon) are found in the western shallows around 37 meters, surrounded by expansive patches of Parazoanthus axinellae in the dark crevices. At night, Cowries (Luria lurida) and many other invertebrates are prevalent.