Italy Beyond the Obvious

Christ of the Abyss

{Did you think from the title that my blogging standards had deteriorated? No, this post is about diving.}

Submerged and then cemented to the sea floor of the Mediterranean over 50 years ago, the underwater statue of Christ of the Abyss (Cristo degli Abissi) is one of the most famous dive destinations in Italy. The statue is found in the waters between the Ligurian towns of Camogli and Portofino, and it commemorates the diver (and the first Italian to use SCUBA gear) Dario Gonzetti, who died during a dive near the spot in 1950. 

Since the 2.5m tall statue praises the heavens in just 15m of water, diving down for a look is considered an easy dive. Use a local dive shop in Portofino such as this one to organize an excursion to the site. Non-divers can see a copy of the statue in the nearby San Fruttuoso Abbey or at the Diving Museum in Ravenna.

Other submerged Christ of the Abyss statues in Italy include one in the Lake of Palú (link in Italian), a lake close to the Swiss and Austrian borders. Another one, recently repaired due to vandalism, is found off the Island of Giglio in the Tuscan Archipelago.

Outside of Italy, there is a Christ of the Abyss in the port of St. George, on the Caribbean island of Grenada; and another submerged off Key Largo, Florida.

Photo by Stella Styles

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The Island of Capraia

Formed by a volcanic eruption 9 million years ago, which produced the island's gorgeous red rock (see photo below), Capraia is referred to as the "wild island". It's a 2.5 hour boat ride from the mainland port in Livorno, and with only a couple ferries a day it's a little harder to get to than the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, but it's worth it.

A Short Summary of the Island's Exciting History

With a history dating back to 3000 BC, Capraia has been inhabited by the Phoenecians, Greeks, Etruscans and Romans. It has housed a community of monks, has been fortified against pirates, and has been a penal colony. 

What To See and Do

There's just 1 town on the island - enough to visit in comfort but still feel like you've gotten away from it all. The island offers great hiking and walking, bird-watching, beaches, sailing and scuba diving, and some scrumptious local food.  

Capraia is a great place to dive in Italy: call the Capraia Diving Service to take you out. Or take a boat trip to the French island of Corsica (which, because it's France, is not on my map of Italy below) aboard the Dragut catamaran. Walk on the mule path which crosses the island, or branch off it to explore the island on a series of smaller paths. Do the half-hour walk from the town to Cala della Zurletta, or the more difficult 3-hour hike up to Monte delle Penne to enjoy the view over Capraia with Corsica on the horizon. Capraia is also where migratory birds stop on their way from Europe to Africa.

Local Gastronomic Delights

While you're there, try the locally-made honey, blackberry liqueur, goat cheese, fig jam, and of course, seafood.

Best Time to Visit

For hiking, gorgeous flowers, and birdwatching, visit in the spring. For fun in the sun, go in the summer, when the island is buzzing with tourists. If your priority is seafood, the locals recommend visiting between September and November, which is also when the water is still warm from the summer, and many of the tourists have gone. One tip for an autumn visit: bring mosquito repellent.

 

Photo of Capraia staircase by Marco Annunziata; Photo of Capraia island by Ginepro Roberto; Photo of Cala Rossa, the red volcanic rock of Capraia from www.isoladicapraia.com

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip: have a look at the sample itinerary or learn more.

SCUBA Diving in Italy: Isola del Giglio

 Italy's Legambiente announced today that the Tuscan Archipelago's Isola del Giglio is ranked as the Number 1 coastal destination in the country this year, due not only to its pristine waters, gorgeous scenery, and picture-perfect beaches, but also because of its art, food, and respect for the environment. Number 2 on the list? Cinque Terre's towns of Riomaggiore, Monterosso and Vernazza.

Ideal for easier dives, Giglio is a quick and easy hop on the frequent Santo Stefano ferry. And as far as tourists go: compared to other islands in the Tuscan archipelago, it's busier than Giannutri but not as busy as Elba. 

Taken from the Greek word Aegilium, meaning goats, Giglio offers a lot even if you're not diving: spend time on its sandy beaches or visit the three towns. Climb up to Poggio della Pagana, at 500m, for a spectacular view overlooking the archipelago. Do one of the many short hikes on the island. Or visit the three-towered castle, built in the 12th century.

The best weather for diving is in autumn when the water is warm, otherwise it's worth visiting in the spring when the flowers are abundant.

If you need a guide or diving gear, or prefer an organized diving excursion, get in touch with Scuba's Angels (all of whom speak fluent English) and they will sort it out for you.

 Photo of Giglio by patapat

SCUBA Diving in Italy: Giannutri

  

The Island of Elba is the busiest and most popular of the Tuscan archipelago, but on the other end of the spectrum, visit the tiny island of Giannutri for a more off-the-beaten-track experience. Just 5 km long, it has a year-round population of 20, but sees more activity in the summertime when the daily 90-minute ferry starts from Porto Santo Stefano.

It is easy to incorporate a day of diving into an Italian tourist itinerary. For example, Monday: explore Tuscan hill towns; Tuesday: diving; Wednesday: visit a museum and do some wine-tasting. And Giannutri is a great day trip: catch the 10 am ferry, and return with the 4.45 pm one; you're back at your hotel with time to freshen up before dinner. 

If you want to stay overnight on Giannutri, it's possible, but there is no hotel on the island and camping is not allowed. Call the island's restaurant, La Taverna del Granduca, and they will set you up with accommodation.

If you need gear or a guide, contact Scuba's Angels, based out of Torino, and they will make sure you are organized.

Photo from www.about-maremma.com

SCUBA Diving in Italy: Elba

The island of Elba, famous for Napoleon's 10-month exile, is the largest island of the Tuscan archipelago. It's probably also the easiest to navigate as a tourist, with lots of shops, restaurants, hotels, sandy beaches, and of course: great SCUBA diving. 

Diving

The local company Diving in Elba has SCUBA classes and excursions, including a "Baby School" for kids 8 and up.

Or contact Scuba's Angels, a team of female diving instructors, fluent in English and based out of Turin, who organize single- or multiple-day diving trips.

 

If you're hiring a boat and just want to know where to dive, this website has details on great dives around Elba.

The Best of The Rest

Rent a car on the island to visit some of the 150 beaches (!) or the pretty towns of Capoliveri, Portoazzuro, or Marina di Campo.

The island's food is Tuscan - with an emphasis on seafood of course - and Elba produces more types of local wine than I have room to list. 

Elba is also interesting for history- and archaeology-lovers, having been inhabited by the Etruscans, Romans, and Spanish; and fought over by the English, Germans and French because of its strategic position.

With such a wide variety of things to do and so easily accessible, it's no surprise that Elba gets booked solid during the summer months, so plan accordingly.

Getting There

The ferry to Elba's Porto Ferraio runs frequently and takes just 1 hour from the mainland port of Piombino.

For a more off-the-beaten-track diving experience, see Diving in Giannutri

Photo of Elba from www.istockphoto.com

Isola Maddalena, Sardinia

Sure, one can go to the Emerald Coast, aka the Costa Smeralda of Sardinia (between Palau and Olbia on the northeast side of the island), vacation with the Who's Who of Italy, and do some yacht-watching. One could even stay at the famous 5-star hotel Cala di Volpe in the town of Porto Cervo and rub shoulders with aforementioned VIPs. (Don't get me wrong: it's on my list.)

 

Or, one could fly to Olbia and head a few miles north to catch the short ferry to Isola Maddalena.

We spent a relaxing week on Maddalena: walking, cycling, swimming in the ocean, and boating around the Maddalena Archipelago. I even learned to SCUBA dive.

 

We also did a daytrip across the causeway to the Isola Caprera to visit the parks and beaches on the other side.

The nearby island of Santo Stefano is a US military base, so we saw some of the US navy relaxing - albeit in white, pressed, uniform - at the bars and restaurants in the town of La Maddalena in the evening.

My favorite part of the trip was being in a boat in the archipelago. The rock formations are just spectacular, and it's hard to believe that the rock-animals and rock-faces I saw everywhere were formed by water and not the hand of a sculptor (see photo below: is that a polar bear looking across to the land?)

 

Photos by Sanjay