5 caves · down to 30 m · 4 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving around Sorrento and Punta Campanella
- Caves5
- Max depth30 m
- For intro teams4
- Dive centres2
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationPunta Campanella Diving CenterAir, nitrox, trimix and 'mixed gas' according to the PADI listing; O₂ not stated — askRoute ↗
- Fill stationNettuno Diving (Sorrento Diving Center), Villaggio NettunoNot stated — askRoute ↗
Why come here
Around the tip of the Sorrento peninsula, the Punta Campanella marine reserve holds shallow sea caves no deeper than about 30 m. A local centre takes you there by boat to see air bells full of formations, as in the Zaffiro and the Isca, or to swim through the 80 m Grotta di Mitigliano, where the passage narrows until you go one at a time. Levels range from cavern to intro-to-cave. The water is busy with boats in summer, so ascend with a buoy at your own boat. The Grotta Azzurra on Capri is closed to divers.
Don't miss
- Grotta dello Zaffiro: light through the shallow entrance turns the vault sapphire blue, and inside a stalactite and stalagmite join into a column at one spot.
- Grotta dell'Isca: underwater arches lead to a chamber with an air bell full of stalactites, one of which reaches almost 1 m below the surface and is covered in yellow zoanthids.
- Grotta di Mitigliano: a karst cave formed by a freshwater spring, where fresh water shimmers on salt in the chimneys and the formations in the air chambers are still growing.
On a rest day
- Pompeii: The Circumvesuviana takes about half an hour to the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, with its streets, houses and frescoes.
- Bay of Ieranto: A walk of about 2.5 km from Nerano takes you to this bay in the marine reserve, looking out on the sea stacks of Capri.
- Path of the Gods: The trail high above the Amalfi Coast from Bomerano to Nocelle, past cliffs, terraces and old vineyards, before the descent to Positano.
All 5 caves
1 closed not shown ·
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grotta dell'IscaBackmount · Cavern | 15 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta dello ZaffiroBackmount · Cavern | 16 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta di MitiglianoBackmount · Intro to cave | 15 m | Backmount | Intro to cave |
| Grotta di Punta FalconeNot known yet · Cavern | 30 m | Not known yet | 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
Punta Campanella Diving Center
Via Marina Grande 186, 80067 Sorrento
- Air, nitrox, trimix and 'mixed gas' according to the PADI listing
- Grotta dello Zaffiro, Grotta dell'Isca, Grotta di Mitigliano, Grotta di Punta Falcone
- Scooters and cylinders in several sizes (per the PADI listing)
Fill station
Nettuno Diving (Sorrento Diving Center), Villaggio Nettuno
Via A. Vespucci 39, 80061 Massa Lubrense (Marina del Cantone)
- Not stated — ask
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Sorrento and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
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Find a place near Sorrento, Massa Lubrense, Positano, Capri
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- SorrentoBooking.com ↗
- Massa LubrenseBooking.com ↗
- PositanoBooking.com ↗
- CapriBooking.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; coast guard 1530; DAN Europe +39 06 4211 5685.
- Hyperbaric chambers (SIMSI list, March 2024): Naples – AORN Cardarelli, Via Cardarelli 9, Napoli (+39 081 747 4102, +39 081 747 4098; 24 h for critical patients, on call at night and on holidays). Salerno – AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Largo Ippocrate 1, Salerno (+39 089 672756, +39 089 673387; 24 h). Children: AORN Santobono, Via M. Fiore 6, Napoli (+39 081 220 5790; 24 h). Call 112 and DAN first.
Access and rules
- AMP Punta Campanella: marine protected area around the tip of the peninsula, managed by a consortium of Massa Lubrense, Sorrento, Sant'Agnello, Piano di Sorrento, Vico Equense and Positano (office Palazzo Vespoli, Viale Filangieri, Massa Lubrense; info@puntacampanella.org, +39 081 808 9877). Zone A (integral reserve) includes the Vervece rock and the Vetara islet.
- Rules for divers (2016 overview of the Campania marine reserves): in zone A only guided dives with centres authorised by the AMP; in zones B and C dives (individual or in groups) with AMP authorisation, or guided by an authorised centre. Ask the AMP for current rules, fees and any cave rules. The caves lie in zone B (Zaffiro, Isca, Punta Falcone) and C (Mitigliano) and you dive them by boat with a local centre.
Closed or restricted
- Capri: the Grotta Azzurra is closed to swimmers and divers (museum site, rowing boats only). Dive centres go to Capri for wall and deep dives (Punta Carena, the 'Traliccio' lattice tower off Punta Carena at -50/-62 m, Salto di Tiberio). Ferries and hydrofoils to Capri from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Naples.
Gas and fills
- Gas: Punta Campanella Diving (Sorrento) lists air, nitrox, trimix, 'mixed gas' and CO₂ absorbent on its PADI page, and rents scooters; ask about O₂. Nettuno Diving (Marina del Cantone): gases not stated. Ask about CCR rental.
Safety
- Boat traffic: all caves are on the sea and reached only by boat; in summer the water is busy. In July 2026 a diver died at Marina di Puolo (not a cave dive); investigators looked at a possible impact with a passing boat during the ascent. Ascend with a buoy and at your own boat.
Getting around
- Getting there: Sorrento is on the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples.
Rest day
- Rest day: visit the Grotta Azzurra by rowing boat (April–October 9:00–18:00, November–March 9:00–14:00; €6 plus the boat, sea permitting).
News
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