Salento · about 2 km from Otranto
Tunnel del Serpe
- Max depth24 m
- CertificationCavern
- Water temperature≈ 14–26 °C, varies with the seasonestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Scuba Diving OtrantoAir; ask about nitrox and trimix
- Costa del Sud Diving ServiceAir, nitrox, trimix, oxygen, argon
The dive
Halfway through the dive, along a cut with large Axinella sponges and red mullet on the sand, you reach a wide karst tunnel. A large north-facing portal, with a big hole in the rock above it, lets in plenty of light.
Profile and sections
Halfway through the dive, along a cut with large Axinella sponges and red mullet on the sand, you reach a wide karst tunnel. A large north-facing portal, with a big hole in the rock above it, lets in plenty of light. The ceiling of the first chamber is hung with stalactites covered in tube worms; behind it a narrowing chimney rises, with two ledges and two columns. Red branching sponges cover the walls. At the exit lie the remains of an old car: four wheels, the engine and the steering wheel.
The tunnel is in the Apulian cave register as PU 1621 and was surveyed in 2006 by biologists of the University of Salento.
Practical: Scuba Diving Otranto calls this an easy dive, popular with groups.
- Depth and profile
- Cut to -24 m · horizontal tunnel of more than 30 m · chimney with ledges at -15 and -8 m
- Configuration
- All configurations; wide karst tunnel with a large portal
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Short tunnel; no gain
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 24 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
At Torre del Serpe, just south of Otranto; with a dive centre from Otranto (Scuba Diving Otranto dives here).
Around Tunnel del Serpe
Fills2 fill stations · nearest 2 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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