Activities · Destination Guide
Two protected archipelagos, one granite-and-gorgonian diving road trip
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Northern Sardinia rewards a two-base scuba plan. From Palau or La Maddalena, authorized day boats choose among Secca di Washington, Punta Coticcio, Spargi, Caprera, and sheltered alternatives according to the Mistral. Around Porto San Paolo, Tavolara Diving Center and other authorized operators use the Tavolara MPA's designated buoys for Secca del Papa, Punta Arresto, Relitto Omega, and Molara routes.
The signature is structure: granite shoals, vertical coralligenous faces, boulder corridors, gorgonians, Posidonia edges, and a few wreck or aircraft-remnant objectives. Clear water is common in the main season, but current and wind are part of the destination's identity. Beginners have suitable training and shallow sites; experienced divers get more from the advanced shoals, deeper wall options, and multilevel routes. Plan several dive days in each park so weather-driven substitutions become part of the itinerary rather than a disappointment.
Tavolara's flagship protected shoal, split into two buoyed sections with coralligenous walls, gorgonians, dense schooling fish, and variable current.
A designated Molaraarea buoy site combining granite relief, Posidonia, fish life, and enough current variation to keep route selection important.
A Tavolara wall and rock route with a shallow start and a reported maximum near {{ 22 | distance:m }}.
An exposed La Maddalena granite shoal with a shallow crest, multiple routes, gorgoniancovered faces, and deeper options reaching about {{ 40 | distance:m }}.
A multilevel Caprera route through granite boulders, channels, and sandy pockets, beginning near {{ 5 | distance:m }} and offering deeper extensions.
Broken shallow wreckage near I Tre Fratelli lies around {{ 16 | distance:m }} to {{ 19 | distance:m }} among sand and Posidonia.
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