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Sotto la Galleria
Italy · cave · beginner
4–22 mbeginnerOWboat entry
Sotto la Galleria
Boulder slope, a two-door cave and a submerged pinnacle, right under the tunnel that lets you into the Zingaro reserve.
Max depth4–22 m
Required levelbeginner
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Sotto la Galleria takes its name from the road tunnel that forms the Scopello-side entrance to the Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro; the dive sits in the water directly beneath it, and Castellammare operators treat it as the first stop of the Zingaro run. Despite the name it is not a shore dive. Every centre that publishes it works it from a boat, and the Trapani harbourmaster's ordinance for this coast makes that effectively compulsory.
The ground is a rockslide of large boulders that have jammed into hollows, tunnels, rock arches, short walls and small caverns. Cetaria Diving Center, which has run this coast from Scopello for over thirty years, describes the route: under a rock spur at 6 m a wall begins and falls to 15 m, forming the entrance to a small cave with two submerged doorways and several windows that let light in. Inside there is a single chamber with a sandy floor holding a large spirograph worm, sea stars, scorpionfish and small sea bream; the exit corridor comes out about 10 m from where you went in. Passing under a rock arch lit up by orange cup coral, sponges and false coral, you come out at a submerged pinnacle whose base sits at 20 m, wrapped in sponges, stony corals and yellow gorgonians, and used as cover by golden grouper, sea bream and dentex. The way back up between 15 and 10 m passes fan mussels and, according to the same source, a wide range of nudibranchs.
Cetaria gives the profile as 4 to 22 m, grades the difficulty easy, records the current as nil and visibility as good. Luna Blu Diving Center, working out of the port of Castellammare del Golfo, lists Open Water as the certification and says the site suits any level depending on how deep you take it, adding gorgonians, scorpionfish, sea bream, corb, forkbeard, nudibranchs, octopus, moray and lobster to the species list.
One caveat on the position: the operators place the dive under the reserve's entrance tunnel, which is roughly 0.8 km south-south-east of where this pin sits. Treat the pin as approximate and the tunnel as the landmark.
- Boulder rockslide with hollows, tunnels, arches and small caverns
- Small cave with two submerged entrances and light windows, single chamber, exit corridor ~10 m from the entry
- Rock arch encrusted with orange cup coral, sponges and false coral
- Submerged pinnacle with its base at 20 m, covered in sponges, stony coral and yellow gorgonians
- Fan mussels and nudibranchs on the 15 to 10 m return
Please note before you go
- Overhead environment: the cave has two submerged entrances and an exit corridor that surfaces about 10 m from the entry point
- A second overhead at the rock arch between the cave exit and the submerged pinnacle
- Sandy floor inside the single chamber is easy to silt out in an enclosed space
- Boat access is regulated: motor navigation is banned within 100 m of the reserve coast except for dive-support vessels holding a specific harbourmaster authorisation
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat only, and in practice a guided boat. Luna Blu Diving Center runs it from the port of Castellammare del Golfo with the boat leaving at 08:30, and treats it as the first spot of the Zingaro reserve dives. Cetaria Diving Center works the same coast by RIB from Scopello. The site is directly below the tunnel that forms the reserve's Scopello-side entrance, which is about 0.8 km south-south-east of this catalogue pin, so use the tunnel rather than the coordinates as the landmark. No source describes a shore entry here, and the coast above is a roadless protected reserve.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Restrictions
The Capitaneria di Porto di Trapani ordinance for this coast (referenced by the reserve as ordinance 20/2018) bans, within 100 m of the Zingaro reserve coastline and at all times of year including outside the bathing season and in stretches with no bathers: navigation under motor, and the anchoring of any vessel within 50 m of the coast without authorisation. It grants a partial derogation, outside bathing areas and outside the 50 m line, to vessels licensed to carry passengers on tourist excursions and to diver-support vessels holding a specific authorisation from the Trapani harbourmaster. Between Cala Mazzo di Sciacca (excluded) and Tonnarella dell'Uzzo (included), during the bathing season, access to Tonnarella dell'Uzzo, Torre dell'Uzzo, Cala Marinella, Cala Berretta, Cala della Disa, Cala del Varo and Cala Capreria is closed to every vessel at any hour, except unpowered beach craft and small sail craft proceeding under oars only.
Rules and permits
The land above the site is the Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro, in the municipalities of San Vito Lo Capo and Castellammare del Golfo, open to visitors daily from 07:00 to 19:00. The sea in front of it is not a marine protected area with its own zoning; the rules that bite on divers are the Trapani harbourmaster's ordinance summarised under access restrictions, which is what makes an authorised dive-support boat the practical way to reach the site.
Season
No source names a diving season for this site. Two seasonal rules do apply nearby: during the bathing season the harbourmaster's ordinance closes seven named coves along this coast, from Cala Capreria northward, to every kind of vessel except non-motorised beach craft and small boats under oars; and the reserve itself opens to the public daily from 07:00 to 19:00.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentnone
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range4–22 m
Environmentcave
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsnot sourced
Cetaria's own summary of a normal day here is easy grade, no current and good visibility. The site lies at the sheltered southern end of the Zingaro coast, inside the Gulf of Castellammare, and the operator picks routes according to sea state, season and the experience of the group.
On current: Cetaria Diving Center records the current here as nil and visibility as good. Luna Blu does not contradict that. No source consulted reports current, surge or thermocline as a planning factor at this site, and its position at the sheltered southern end of the Zingaro coast inside the Gulf of Castellammare is consistent with that.
Questions & answers
How deep is Sotto la Galleria?
Cetaria Diving Center gives the site a working range of 4 to 22 m. The recognisable landmarks sit along that range: a rock spur at 6 m where the wall begins, the cave entrance at about 15 m, and the base of the submerged pinnacle at 20 m. The return leg runs shallower, between 15 and 10 m.
Is Sotto la Galleria a shore dive?
No. Despite sitting directly under the road tunnel that forms the reserve's Scopello-side entrance, every operator that publishes the site runs it from a boat, and the coast above is a roadless protected reserve. The Trapani harbourmaster's ordinance also bans motor navigation within 100 m of the reserve coastline except for dive-support vessels with a specific authorisation, which is a further reason the practical access is a guided boat dive.
How do you get to Sotto la Galleria?
By boat. Luna Blu Diving Center leaves the port of Castellammare del Golfo at 08:30 and treats this as the first spot of its Zingaro reserve run. Cetaria Diving Center works the same coast by RIB out of Scopello. The dive is under the reserve's entrance tunnel, which is about 800 m south-south-east of the catalogue pin, so navigate to the tunnel rather than to the coordinates.
Is Sotto la Galleria good for beginners?
Yes. Cetaria grades it easy and records the current as nil; Luna Blu lists Open Water as the certification and says it suits any level depending on how deep you take it. The one thing to respect is the overhead: the cave has two submerged doorways and an exit corridor that comes out about 10 m from where you entered, so take a torch and stay with the guide.
Can you snorkel at Sotto la Galleria?
Partly, and Cetaria explicitly recommends the site to snorkellers as well as to underwater photographers. The top of the boulder field starts at around 4 m, so the rock, the light and the shallow fish are all within reach on a breath. The cave, the arch and the pinnacle are not, and you would still need a boat to get out there.
What will I see at Sotto la Galleria?
Cetaria's route notes a large spirograph worm at the cave mouth, sea stars, scorpionfish and small sea bream on the sandy floor, an arch encrusted with orange cup coral, sponges and false coral, and a pinnacle wrapped in sponges, stony coral and yellow gorgonians sheltering golden grouper, sea bream and dentex, with fan mussels and nudibranchs on the way back up. Luna Blu adds corb, forkbeard, octopus, moray and lobster. Occurrence records around the pin are dominated by ornate wrasse, damselfish, several Diplodus sea breams, saddled sea bream and salema.
Is there any current at Sotto la Galleria?
Cetaria records the current at this site as nil and visibility as good, and no other source consulted flags current, surge or a thermocline as something to plan for. The site sits at the sheltered southern end of the Zingaro coast, inside the Gulf of Castellammare, which is consistent with that. Operators still pick the day's route according to sea state.
Do I need a permit or a licensed operator to dive here?
There is no marine park ticket, because the sea in front of the Zingaro is not a marine protected area with its own zoning. What governs it is the Trapani harbourmaster's ordinance: no motor navigation within 100 m of the reserve coast, no anchoring within 50 m without authorisation, and a derogation only for licensed excursion boats and for diver-support vessels carrying a specific harbourmaster authorisation. In practice that means diving it with a centre that holds one. During the bathing season the ordinance also closes seven named coves along this coast to all vessels.
Life recorded at Sotto la Galleria
26 species within 1.5 km · OBISThalassoma pavooccasional · 10 records
Chromis chromisoccasional · 7 records
Diplodus vulgarisoccasional · 7 records
Diplodus sargusoccasional · 6 records
Oblada melanurusoccasional · 6 records
Sarpa salpaoccasional · 5 records
All 26 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Thalassoma pavo | occasional | 10 |
| Chromis chromis | occasional | 7 |
| Diplodus vulgaris | occasional | 7 |
| Diplodus sargus | occasional | 6 |
| Oblada melanurus | occasional | 6 |
| Sarpa salpa | occasional | 5 |
| Pachygrapsus marmoratus | rare | 3 |
| Parablennius sanguinolentus | rare | 3 |
| Coris julis | rare | 3 |
| Oedalechilus labeo | rare | 3 |
| Scorpaena maderensis | rare | 3 |
| Serranus scriba | rare | 2 |
| Apogon imberbis | rare | 2 |
| Symphodus tinca | rare | 2 |
| Tripterygion tripteronotum | rare | 2 |
| Clibanarius erythropus | rare | 1 |
| Percnon gibbesi | rare | 1 |
| Diplodus annularis | rare | 1 |
| Diplodus puntazzo | rare | 1 |
| Sphyraena sphyraena | rare | 1 |
| Cotylorhiza tuberculata | rare | 1 |
| Pelagia noctiluca | rare | 1 |
| Patella rustica | rare | 1 |
| Sarcotragus spinosulus | rare | 1 |
| Symphodus roissali | rare | 1 |
| Lipophrys trigloides | rare | 1 |
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