Monte Argentario · about 3 km from Porto Santo Stefano
Grotta Grande dell'Argentarola
- Max depth40 m
- CertificationIntro to cave
- SpecialSidemount
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationDiving ArgentarioNot published — askRoute ↗
- Fill stationArgentario DiversAir (oil-free), nitrox, trimix (order 24 h ahead), O₂; mixes to 200 bar via boostersRoute ↗
What it looks like
Immersione alla grotta Grande dell'Argentarola. #cave #cavediving #argentaridivers Immersione all'Argentarola - Grotta della Cattedrale Argentarola e grotta "La Cattedrale" Immersione grotta argentarola
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Videos and posts
From other divers, via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. They only load when you click; after that, Google's or Meta's privacy rules apply.
Immersione alla grotta Grande dell'Argentarola. #cave #cavediving #argentaridivers Immersione all'Argentarola - Grotta della Cattedrale Argentarola e grotta "La Cattedrale" Immersione grotta argentarola
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Argentario Divers
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
The large hall is full of stalactites, stalagmites and columns that grew when sea level was lower. According to argentarioturismo.it a fixed 25 m nylon line is in place — check its condition and lay your own.
Profile and sections
The large hall is full of stalactites, stalagmites and columns that grew when sea level was lower. According to argentarioturismo.it a fixed 25 m nylon line is in place — check its condition and lay your own.
The speleothems (samples from -3.5 to -21.7 m) are widely used in sea-level research; a stalagmite from -18.5 m dates a highstand of ~200,000 years ago. The cave was first explored in December 1960. It is also called 'Grotta della Cattedrale', formerly 'Grotta del Pozzo Grande'.
Practical: dive centres take recreational divers only as far as the exit stays visible. Argentario Divers rates the cave for Cave 2 divers, preferably sidemount (dives up to ~120 min).
- Depth and profile
- Entrance -4/-6 m (narrow) · main hall with speleothems to ~-15/-20 m · two ~20 m jumps from the main hall · narrow vertical shaft to a chamber deeper than -40 m · 97 m development, ~720 m² floor
- Configuration
- Main hall: all configurations, with perfect trim (narrow entrance, silt). The shaft to the deep chamber is very tight: sidemount only.
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Short cave with lots of silt and a tight shaft: no gain.
Who can dive where
- At least Intro to cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 40 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
Boat only: the islet lies ~450 m off the west coast of Monte Argentario near Cala Moresca. Dive centres from Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole run trips.
Around Grotta Grande dell'Argentarola
Fills2 fill stations · nearest 3 km
Diving Argentario
Via Sant'Andrea 23, 58019 Porto Santo Stefano (GR)
Not published — ask
Ask
Dives the Argentarola (including the Grotta della Cattedrale) and offers tech dives to -80 m (Secca di Mezzo Canale) and long-distance trips to Giglio. Contact via info@divingargentario.it.
Argentario Divers
Lungomare Andrea Doria 103, 58019 Porto Ercole (GR)
Air (oil-free), nitrox, trimix (order 24 h ahead), O₂; mixes to 200 bar via boosters
Open all year; daily 8:00–20:00 (per InDepth)
Rebreather-friendly and SF2 service centre: sofnolime, bailout cylinders, O₂ sensor testing. UTD/SSI centre running tech, sidemount and rebreather courses since 1998; scooter dives, twinset/sidemount rental. Three boats (17 m dive boat and two RIBs). Runs trips to the Argentarola, Giannutri and Giglio.
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Caves nearby1 within 1 km
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