Salento · about 1 km from Gagliano del Capo
Grotta Piccola del Ciolo
- CertificationIntro to cave
- Water temperature≈ 14–26 °C, varies with the seasonestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
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Fills nearby
- Fill stationScuba Diving OtrantoAir; ask about nitrox and trimixRoute ↗
- Fill stationCosta del Sud Diving ServiceAir, nitrox, trimix, oxygen, argonRoute ↗
What it looks like
All 1 videos and posts
Videos and posts
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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
This cave with a freshwater spring ends in a chamber with a small beach. A monk seal was seen here in 1973.
Profile and sections
This cave with a freshwater spring ends in a chamber with a small beach. A monk seal was seen here in 1973.
The neighbouring Grotta Grande del Ciolo (Bocca del Pozzo) is partly flooded, ~120 m long, with a tall entrance, a sump and air bells; according to Wikipedia divers can follow it for its whole length, with a few narrow spots.
Practical: an Italian cave-diving archive calls the Ciolo cave well known, easy and much visited by recreational divers; another centre asks for a cavern or cave card.
- Depth and profile
- Entrance at sea level · ~100–120 m long with two short sumps (start and end) · max depth not published
- Configuration
- Fracture cave with two small sumps; other passage sizes not published
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Short, with small sumps; no gain
Who can dive where
- At least Intro to cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
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
In the Ciolo inlet near Gagliano del Capo, in the Otranto–Leuca coastal park. Entrance at sea level, ~3 m wide.
Around Grotta Piccola del Ciolo
Fills2 fill stations · nearest 35 km
Scuba Diving Otranto
Via del Porto 1, 73028 Otranto (LE)
Air; ask about nitrox and trimix
Open all year according to a listing; ask
SSI centre at the harbour with daily day and night dives from three RIBs (2× 7.4 m, 1× 10 m); technical training incl. trimix and rebreather. Lists caves among its dive sites — ask which.
Costa del Sud Diving Service
Lungomare Santa Caterina 6, 73050 Santa Caterina di Nardò (LE)
Air, nitrox, trimix, oxygen, argon
Daily 7:30–20:30 according to its SSI listing; ask outside the summer season
SSI Instructor Training Center with rebreather and XR training; rents drysuits and scooters among other gear; boat and shore dives. Dives the Porto Selvaggio and Santa Caterina caves and reports being authorised for the AMP Porto Cesareo and the Porto Selvaggio park. Fills for visitors and sofnolime: ask.
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