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Scoglio d'Inferno
Italy · reef · intermediate
5–19 mintermediateOWboat entry
Scoglio d'Inferno
Two rocks off Cala Inferno on the Capo Caccia headland, one just breaking the surface and one at 18 m, pierced by tunnels the marine park counts as caves.
Max depth5–19 m
Required levelintermediate
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Scoglio d'Inferno sits off Cala Inferno on the western flank of the Capo Caccia headland at Alghero, inside the Area Marina Protetta Capo Caccia - Isola Piana. The dive works a pair of rocks: one that just breaks the surface, and a second that stays submerged with its top around 18 m. Between and through them run large tunnels and arches, and that is what the dive is really about. Depths are modest by Sardinian standards, with an operator giving 13 m as the working average and 19 m as the maximum, so bottom time is generous.
The local dive centre calls it one of the brightest and most biodiverse dives it runs, and the species list is the Capo Caccia set: pink flabellina nudibranchs on the rock, large grouper, schooling barracuda in summer, moray and conger in the cracks. A PADI listing submitted by an operator adds snapper, octopus and scorpionfish. The water is Sardinian Mediterranean and cool enough that the same listing suggests a hood and booties with the wetsuit.
The regulatory position matters here more than usual. The park's implementing rules list Scoglio d'Inferno, under Cala Inferno, in the table of submarine caves in Zone B where access is rationed: a maximum of six divers per dive and three dives per day at this site. Guided visits run through dive centres authorised by the park; private divers have to apply to the managing body for their own authorisation. Diving is daytime only, has to stay within 50 m of the mooring point or the surface marker, and the boat moors to one of the park's own buoys rather than anchoring.
One caution about the pin: this stretch of coast carries several catalogue entries within a kilometre, some of them the same dive under an Italian and an English name. The park's own list of authorised cave dives distinguishes Scoglio d'Inferno at Cala Inferno from the Dolmen at Isola Foradada and the Porticati at Capo Caccia, which are separate entries in the same table.
- Large tunnels and arches through two rock formations
- Summer barracuda schools circling the pinnacle
- Pink flabellina nudibranchs, big grouper, moray and conger
- Capped at six divers and three dives a day, so it is never crowded
Please note before you go
- The tunnels are an overhead environment; the marine park lists this site among its submarine caves and caps it at six divers per dive
- One of the two rocks breaks the surface, so the site is shallow enough to be in the way of boat traffic
- Diving here without the park's authorisation carries the sanctions set out in its disciplinare
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat only, off Cala Inferno on the western side of the Capo Caccia promontory at Alghero. The park requires support boats for authorised dives to moor to its own marked buoys for no longer than the dive takes, rather than anchoring. The published position for the site is 40.57277 N, 8.15683 E.
Operator
You can reach the site independently.
Restrictions
Zone B of the AMP Capo Caccia - Isola Piana. The park's implementing rules list Scoglio d'Inferno, at Cala Inferno, among the submarine caves open to guided diving, with a maximum of 6 divers per dive and 3 dives per day at this site. Guided cave visits are run by park-authorised dive centres with at most 4 divers per guide, 2 guides and 8 divers per dive. Independent divers need their own authorisation from the managing body, may dive daytime only, in groups of no more than 4, never solo and never without someone qualified in first aid, and must stay within 50 m of the mooring or the surface marker. Dive centres keep a stamped register of every trip. Diver training in submerged caves is allowed only at the Grotta del Pozzo.
Rules and permits
The AMP Capo Caccia - Isola Piana was established by ministerial decree of 20 September 2002 and covers 2,631 hectares including Isola Piana, Isola Foradada, the minor rocks and the whole of Porto Conte bay. Authorisation applications carry an administrative fee, and applicants must declare that they have read the establishing decree and the disciplinare and know where the zone boundaries run. Swimming is prohibited in zone A and free in zones B and C.
Season
The operator listing that supplied this site's data says to expect large barracuda schools around the pinnacle during the summer season, which is the only seasonal claim any source makes about it. Access is unrestricted by season, but capped at three dives a day, so a summer slot needs booking.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentnot sourced
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range5–19 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsquiet
A boat dive on an exposed western headland, worked around two rocks within a 50 m circle of the mooring buoy, mostly between 10 and 19 m. Groups are small by regulation. Summer is when the barracuda schools are reported.
On current: No source we read publishes current or visibility figures for this site, and we have not invented any. What is documented is the shape of the dive: one rock at the surface, one topping out at 18 m, and swim-throughs between them, all within a 50 m radius of the mooring under the park's rules. The park's suggested kit for the site includes a hood, which is the usual signal for cool water on this coast.
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Questions & answers
How deep is Scoglio d'Inferno?
Shallow. The operator listing that supplied this site's data gives an average depth of 13 m and a maximum of 19 m. One of the two rocks breaks the surface; the second stays submerged with its top around 18 m, according to the local dive centre. That leaves plenty of bottom time for working the tunnels.
Do I need a permit to dive Scoglio d'Inferno?
Yes. The site is in Zone B of the AMP Capo Caccia - Isola Piana and appears in the park's table of submarine caves with rationed access. Guided dives are run by park-authorised centres; independent divers must apply to the managing body for their own authorisation and declare they have read the decree and the disciplinare.
How many divers are allowed at Scoglio d'Inferno at once?
Six per dive, and three dives a day at this site, under the park's cave table. Guided cave visits are limited to four divers per guide, with a maximum of two guides and eight divers on any one dive. Independent groups are capped at four divers, and solo diving is not permitted anywhere in the area.
Is Scoglio d'Inferno suitable for beginners?
The open water around the rocks is: the operator listing marks it suitable for all levels and names Open Water Diver as the useful training, at 13 to 19 m. The tunnels are a different matter, which is why the park files this site among its submarine caves. Go through them with a guide, not on your own initiative.
What will I see at Scoglio d'Inferno?
The dive centre that runs it describes pink flabellina nudibranchs, large grouper, barracuda schools, moray and conger; the operator listing adds snapper, octopus and scorpionfish. OBIS records for this stretch also carry Muraena helena, Sphyraena viridensis, Sepia officinalis, Diplodus sargus and Echinaster sepositus.
When is the best time to dive Scoglio d'Inferno?
Summer, if the barracuda are what you want: the operator listing says to expect large schools circling the pinnacle during the summer season, and that is the only seasonal claim any source makes about the site. Access is not seasonally restricted, but with three dives a day allowed, a summer slot needs booking ahead.
Can you snorkel or freedive Scoglio d'Inferno?
Swimming with mask and fins is free in zones B and C, and one rock breaks the surface, so you would see the top of the structure. Freediving needs prior park authorisation, is daytime only, is capped at eight freedivers per site within 50 m of the marker, and may not be done solo or without first-aid cover. The tunnels are below snorkelling depth.
How do you get to Scoglio d'Inferno?
By boat, off Cala Inferno on the western side of the Capo Caccia promontory at Alghero; the published position is 40.57277 N, 8.15683 E. There is no shore access. Support boats must moor to the park's own marked buoys for the length of the dive rather than anchoring.
Life recorded at Scoglio d'Inferno
11 species within 1.5 km · OBISGammarus subtypicusoccasional · 8 records
Gammarella fucicolarare · 3 records
Gammarus insensibilisrare · 1 records
Melita hergensisrare · 1 records
Melita palmatarare · 1 records
Muraena helenarare · 1 records
All 11 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Gammarus subtypicus | occasional | 8 |
| Gammarella fucicola | rare | 3 |
| Gammarus insensibilis | rare | 1 |
| Melita hergensis | rare | 1 |
| Melita palmata | rare | 1 |
| Muraena helena | rare | 1 |
| Coris julis | rare | 1 |
| Sphyraena viridensis | rare | 1 |
| Cotylorhiza tuberculata | rare | 1 |
| Phyllidia flava | rare | 1 |
| Felimare orsinii | rare | 1 |
Nearby sites in Alghero
Explore all sitesGrotta di Nereo0.7 km
AlgheroThe largest submerged sea cave in the Mediterranean: about 300 m of main gallery under Capo Caccia, entered deep and exited shallow, and by law a cavern-certified dive.
The Gorgonias0.7 km
AlgheroNereo Cave & Arches of Nereo0.8 km
AlgheroThe Canyon0.8 km
AlgheroIl tunnel0.8 km
AlgheroNot a cave of its own: the pin sits on Nereo/tunnel, one of four separately authorised entries into the Grotta di Nereo at Capo Caccia.
The Tunnel & The Fjord0.9 km
AlgheroBeen here? Log it.
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