8 caves · down to 50 m · 8 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving on Ustica
- Caves8
- Max depth50 m
- For intro teams8
- Dive centres3
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationBlue Diving UsticaNot stated (60 cylinders in stock) — askRoute ↗
- Fill stationLa Perla Nera DivingAir, nitrox and trimix (separate compressors plus a Haskel booster); O₂ not stated — askRoute ↗
- Fill stationUstica Diving CenterAir and nitrox (max 36% O₂, €10 supplement, nitrox certification required); trimix and O₂ not stated — askRoute ↗
Why come here
Ustica is a volcanic island off Palermo with Italy's first marine protected area (1986) and nine official underwater caves, from the shallow Pastizza near the harbour to the deep Grotta dei Gamberi at ~-42 m. You dive the caves only guided, with an authorised centre, in daylight and with at most 4 divers per guide, and everyone needs a cave speciality certification. From 1 June to 30 September this is allowed only in the first and third week of each month. You get there from Palermo by hydrofoil (~1.5 h) or ferry (~3 h); ask the shipping line in advance whether you may carry full dive cylinders.
Don't miss
- Grotta dei Gamberi: the island's best-known cave dive, where huge numbers of red shrimp on the walls, ceiling and floor light up in your torch.
- Grotta della Pastizza: a large dome-shaped cave with two chambers that rise above the water, one of them holding a statue of San Bartolo, the island's patron saint.
- Grotta delle Stalattiti: an air chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, where a ~1,000-year-old stalactite showed that the island has moved up and down by tens of centimetres.
On a rest day
- Faraglioni Village: The Middle Bronze Age village on a headland on the north coast, with the remains of huts along narrow lanes and a large defensive wall.
- Rocca della Falconiera: Climb from the village to the summit, past two Bourbon forts from the 1760s, to Roman remains at the top and a view over most of the island.
- Grottoes by boat: Take a small wooden boat along the coastal grottoes, such as the Grotta Azzurra, the Grotta Verde and the Pastizza.
All 8 caves
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grotta dei CirriBackmount · Cavern | 50 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta dei GamberiBackmount · Intro to cave | 50 m | Backmount | Intro to cave |
| Grotta dei Gamberi 2Backmount · Cavern | 25 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta della FalconieraBackmount · Cavern | 34 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta della PastizzaBackmount · Cavern | 25 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta delle CipreeBackmount · Cavern | 18 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Grotta delle StalattitiNot known yet · Cavern | 13 m | Not known yet | Cavern |
| Tunnel del Medico (Grotta della Balena)Backmount · Cavern | 26 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
3 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Dive centre
Blue Diving Ustica
Piazza Vito Longo 4, 90051 Ustica
- Not stated — ask
- Grotta dei Gamberi 2, Grotta della Pastizza, Tunnel del Medico (Grotta della Balena)
Dive centre
La Perla Nera Diving
Piazza Capitano Vito Longo 5, 90051 Ustica
- Air, nitrox and trimix
- PADI
- Grotta dei Gamberi, Grotta delle Cipree, Grotta dei Cirri, Grotta della Falconiera
Dive centre
Ustica Diving Center
Piazza Umberto I, 90051 Ustica
- Air and nitrox
- Cavern, Full cave · PADI, SSI
- Grotta dei Cirri, Grotta delle Cipree, Grotta dei Gamberi, Grotta della Pastizza
- Rental kit with a guided dive
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Ustica 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 Ustica
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- UsticaBooking.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.
- Chamber on the island: Servizio Terapia Iperbarica of ASP Palermo in the Ustica Poliambulatorio, +39 091 844 9630 (SIMSI list, March 2024; 24 h service not stated). According to ASP Palermo it operates from 1 May to 31 October, for emergencies and elective treatment. On Sicily: Palermo – Policlinico Paolo Giaccone, Via Alfonso Giordano 3, pavilion 4D (+39 091 655 2722, +39 091 655 2729); Palermo – Ospedale Civico, Via Lazzaro (+39 091 666 5104); Partinico – ASP Palermo, Via Circonvallazione 1 (24/365 for emergencies; daytime +39 091 703 1168, nights and holidays +39 091 703 1205). Call 112 and DAN first.
Access and rules
- AMP Isola di Ustica (1986, ~16,000 ha; also Natura 2000 site ZSC ITA020046). Zone A (integral reserve, west coast between Punta Spalmatore and Punta di Megna): no diving except AMP research. Zone B (north side, from Punta Cavazzi to Punta Omo Morto, out to 3 nm) and zone C (south side): diving with authorisation. AMP office: +39 091 844 9237, direttore@ampustica.it.
- Caves (2026 disciplinare, art. 8): guided dives only, with an AMP-authorised centre, in daylight only; all participants and guides hold a cave speciality certification; max 4 divers per guide and max 2 dives per day per cave; from 1 June to 30 September only in the first and third week of each month. The official list has nine caves: Stalattiti, Accademia/Pastizza, Gamberi 1 and 2, Cocci and Cipree (zone C); Cirri, Tunnel del Medico and Falconiera (zone B). Ask whether your centre is authorised and has a cave-certified guide.
- Independent diving (art. 7 and 21): in zones B and C with AMP authorisation, only at the designated sites, within 50 m of your mooring or dive buoy, max 4 dives per site per day, not solo and not without someone qualified in first aid; caves are excluded. Fee €6 per day or €50 for 10 dives; apply with the 'Immersioni libere' form via direttore@ampustica.it or PEC comune@pec.comune.ustica.pa.it. Mooring only with authorisation on the AMP buoys, one boat per buoy, for the length of the dive; max 5 knots within 300 m of the coast and 10 knots between 300 and 600 m.
- Scooters (DPV) are banned in the AMP unless the AMP authorises them on application. Do not touch or take anything and do not feed fish.
Gas and fills
- Gas: La Perla Nera Diving fills air, nitrox and trimix (Haskel booster) and welcomes rebreathers; Ustica Diving Center fills nitrox up to 36%. Ask in advance about pure O₂ for CCR.
Water and season
- Season: most divers come in summer; Blue Diving says it is open all year.
Getting around
- Getting there: hydrofoil (Liberty Lines) from Palermo ~1.5 h, ferry (Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori – Siremar) ~3 h; daily all year, in summer up to 4 hydrofoils a day, far fewer in winter. Bringing a car is discouraged (little parking, restrictions for visitors). Ask the shipping line in advance whether you may carry full dive cylinders.
Rest day
- Rest day: snorkel routes along the Grotta Azzurra, the Grotta Pastizza, the Grotta delle Barche and the Grotta Verde.
News
No recent news found about the caves in this region.
Searched automatically, last on 13 Nov 2026.
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