12 caves · down to 35 m · 10 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving in Salento
- Caves12
- Max depth35 m
- Water temperature14–26 °C
- Dive centres2
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationCosta del Sud Diving ServiceAir, nitrox, trimix, oxygen, argonRoute ↗
- Fill stationScuba Diving OtrantoAir; ask about nitrox and trimixRoute ↗
Why come here
Salento's limestone coast is full of short sea caves, up to about 120 m long and no deeper than ~-25 m, with air bells, freshwater springs and plenty of life. Most cave dives are on the Ionian side around Porto Selvaggio and Santa Caterina (Nardò), close to Santa Maria al Bagno, and on the Adriatic side there are caves near Otranto and the Ciolo. Levels range from cavern to full cave, and local centres know the entries. The sea averages ~14 °C in February and ~26 °C in August. Skip the sea caves in swell, never breathe from air bells, and check before you travel whether the planned marine reserve between Otranto and Leuca, with rules for caves, is in force.
Don't miss
- Grotta delle Corvine: an entrance gallery with a barrel vault leads to a large chamber with three air bells and formations, in a cave where 196 species have been recorded.
- Grotta lu Lampiune: a mostly horizontal cave with four entrances, with eccentric speleothems and biogenic formations at the back.
- Grotta Paolo Roversi: two roomy, dark chambers with a strong halocline from inflowing fresh water, the inner one with an air space and a small shingle beach.
On a rest day
- Porto Selvaggio: Walk through the nature park with its pine forest, high cliffs and sixteenth-century watchtowers such as the Torre dell'Alto.
- Gallipoli: The old town sits on a small island joined to the mainland by a bridge, with a castle almost surrounded by the sea and a Baroque cathedral.
- Lecce: The Baroque city of pale local stone, with the richly decorated façade of Santa Croce and a Roman amphitheatre in the middle of Piazza Sant'Oronzo.
- Grotta Zinzulusa: Take a guided visit to the Zinzulusa near Castro, a cave with stalactites that look like hanging rags and a brackish underground lake.
All 12 caves
1 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grotta del SerpeBackmount · Cavern | 18 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta dell'OraBackmount · Intro to cave | 22 m | Backmount | Intro to cave |
| Grotta delle CorvineBackmount · Cavern | 17 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta delle Tre FurneddheBackmount · Cavern | 23 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta il CaminoBackmount · Intro to cave | 19 m | Backmount | Intro to cave |
| Grotta la MacchiaBackmount · Cavern | 35 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta lu LampiuneNot known yet · Intro to cave | 25 m | Not known yet | Intro to cave |
| Grotta Luigino MarrasBackmount · Cavern | – | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta Paolo RoversiBackmount · Full cave | – | Backmount | Full cave |
| Grotta Piccola del CioloBackmount · Intro to cave | – | Backmount | Intro to cave |
| Tunnel del SerpeBackmount · Cavern | 24 m | Backmount | Cavern |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
2 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Dive centre
Costa del Sud Diving Service
Lungomare Santa Caterina 6, 73050 Santa Caterina di Nardò (LE)
- Air, nitrox, trimix, oxygen, argon
- CCR · SSI
- Grotta Paolo Roversi, Grotta delle Tre Furneddhe
- Drysuits and scooters, among other gear
Dive centre
Scuba Diving Otranto
Via del Porto 1, 73028 Otranto (LE)
- Air
- CCR, Trimix · SSI
- Grotta lu Lampiune, Grotta la Macchia, Tunnel del Serpe, Grotta del SerpeGrotta dell'Ora
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Santa Maria al Bagno (Nardò) and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near Santa Maria al Bagno (Nardò), Nardò, Porto Cesareo, Gallipoli, Otranto, Castro, Gagliano del Capo
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- Santa Maria al Bagno (Nardò)Booking.com ↗
- NardòBooking.com ↗
- Porto CesareoBooking.com ↗
- GallipoliBooking.com ↗
- OtrantoBooking.com ↗
- CastroBooking.com ↗
- Gagliano del CapoBooking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 112, ambulance 118, coast guard 1530, Capitaneria di Porto Gallipoli 0833 266862; DAN Europe +39 06 4211 5685.
- Hyperbaric chambers: Ospedale Sacro Cuore di Gesù, Via Provinciale per Alezio, 73014 Gallipoli (tel. +39 0833 270738; a local list gives 0833 270429) and Ospedale Vito Fazzi, Piazza Filippo Muratore 1, 73100 Lecce (tel. +39 0832 335499; reopened June 2025, treats decompression sickness). 24/7 availability not confirmed: in an accident call 112/118 and DAN first.
Access and rules
- AMP Porto Cesareo (Punta Prosciutto – Torre Inserraglio, tel. 0833 560144): in zone A everything except research is banned; in zones B and C diving is allowed. Underwater caves in the AMP may only be dived as a guided dive with an authorised centre (guide at least Dive Master, max 4 divers per guide and 8 per dive). Check the current rules with the AMP. The Porto Selvaggio and Santa Caterina caves lie south of Torre Inserraglio, along the Porto Selvaggio e Palude del Capitano regional park.
- For that park and for the Costa Otranto – S. Maria di Leuca e Bosco di Tricase coastal park (regional law 30/2006) no separate cave-diving rules are known; the coastal park's founding law contains no diving ban. Costa del Sud reports being authorised for the AMP Porto Cesareo and the Porto Selvaggio park.
- In preparation: the AMP 'Capo d'Otranto – Grotte Zinzulusa e Romanelli – Capo di Leuca' (Otranto to Leuca, 11 municipalities). First zoning presented in October 2025, consultation until 12 January 2026; the ISPRA report mentions rules for diving and limited access to submerged and semi-submerged caves. Check before you travel whether the AMP is in force.
Closed or restricted
- Grotta Zinzulusa (Castro): guided show cave; the flooded parts are closed.
Gas and fills
- Gas: Costa del Sud (Santa Caterina) fills trimix, oxygen and argon and runs rebreather and XR training; Scuba Diving Otranto runs trimix and rebreather courses (ask about fills).
Water and season
- Water temperature (surface, Gallipoli): on average ~14 °C in February to ~26 °C in August. Fresh water flows into several caves (halocline, blurred visibility).
Safety
- Sea caves: skip them in swell. On the Ionian side, westerly to north-westerly wind sets up a sucking surge in the Grotta delle Corvine. Never breathe from air bells.
Rest day
- Rest day: guided tour of the Grotta Zinzulusa (~1 hour, all year, by boat from Castro Marina or overland) or walks in the Porto Selvaggio nature park.
Good to know
- Two clusters: the Ionian coast of Nardò (Porto Selvaggio, Santa Caterina) with most of the cave dives and the technical dive centre Costa del Sud, and the Adriatic coast (Otranto, Castro, the Ciolo near Gagliano del Capo). The caves are short (up to ~120 m) and shallow (to -25 m); local centres know the entries.
News
No recent news found about the caves in this region.
Searched automatically, last on 13 Nov 2026.
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