The 8 best diving and snorkeling spots in Ajaccio

Put on mask and bottle then immerse yourself in the turquoise waters of the best diving spots in Ajaccio!

Welcome to Ajaccio! It is the capital of the territory of Corsica, country of character, jewel of the Mediterranean Sea. This harbour city is located on the west coast of the island, remained rather wild. In fact, it houses breathtaking seabeds of beauty that make the happiness of lovers of underwater rides.

In order to convince you, we have wet to choose the best diving spots in Ajaccio. Peppers, multicolored algae, spectacular shells, monumental rocks, wrecks... Everyone's gonna find his account. A subaquatic trip off the city that saw Napoleon Bonaparte born, it doesn't refuse!

1. The Death Head

The Dead Head is a diving spot in Ajaccio which is one of the most famous in the bay. It is accessible at all levels, allowing a wide audience to initiate or perfect diving. The site is located in the northwest of the Isolella peninsula south of Porticcio and Ajaccio, 12 minutes by boat.

It consists of a main gravel and a rocky plateau offering excellent visibility. Its interest lies in the underwater profusion of life, immediately visible from the first meters of descent. Merous, dentis, red tuna or barracudas. If the latter, carnivorous, sometimes exceed the 25 kg, no worry: they are totally harmless to the human being, even palmed.

The dive usually lasts 45 minutes for a progression between 20 and 30 meters depth . A spectacular cave, reserved for confirmed divers, is a few meters below...

2. The Capannina

Embark on the port of Ajaccio towards the Capannina, a diving spot in Ajaccio that gathers several different sites. From a depth of up to forty metres, it has no particular difficulty.

The “beacon” consists of a rock background 25 meters at the departure of rocks arranged in arc of circle. During the advance in this falling, mostelles , lobsters and merous will look at you with curiosity. Espiègles, these meous ones: they don’t hesitate to place themselves right in front of you to look at you.

Experienced divers will then be tempted by the Capannina Cave, 40 meters deep . The light that infiltrates it consists of a particularly spectacular natural cathedral. We appreciate the comfort of this dive due to the weak currents in the area and marked visibility.

3. The Sette Nave

The "Sette Nave" were, according to the legend, seven barbaric galleys filled with pestiférés preparing to land on the shore. The inhabitants, frightened, invoked Saint-Roch, who perished them with a gesture of hand, saving the population. Nowadays, there is no more pestivities or galleys but a natural swimming pool sheltering a marine ecosystem of exceptional wealth .

The site is formed of a rocky breeze including the main plateau does not descend under 10 meters depth . Screws and cavities allow to sink further into the blue water. This diving spot in Ajaccio welcomes mule benches, urchins, royal dorades, octopuses and sea stars.

More surprisingly, mantas rays sometimes appear in the area. If this remains exceptional, crossing one of these amazing creatures would surely be the unforgettable time of your stay in South Corsica!

4. The Pic du Scudo

For experienced divers, the Scudo peak is a site of choice about one kilometre from the Corsican coastline . Its depth varies between 20 and 70 meters . It is distinguished by its sandy background and its "pike", a submarine rock with false mountain airs.

On the bottom of the rock, a gentle slope leads the aquatic equipae to a fall of madrepores (hard corals) reaching about 70 metres. These are an idyllic place of residence for red gorgones, lobsters, morays or chapons.

How, chapons? No gallinace in the Great Blue, it is simply the other name given to the red rascasses. These spectacular fish feed on crustaceans and small fish, but can cause painful stings to unbridled divers. Their scarlet color is responsible for warning you: no touch!

5. The merous valley

The Mérous valley is reserved for level 2 divers. The site reached up to 50 meters depth and consists of various galleries and exhilarating cavities of life. It is located only 400 meters north of the tip of Isolella delimits the entrance of the Gulf of Ajaccio. The valley of the Mérous forms a very beautiful falling 55 meters particularly exposed to the current which requires a good experience.

As its name suggests, this dive spot in Ajaccio is the ideal place to cross gigantic merous. There are also corbs or red gorgones that evolve in black coral formations. For the hardest, a natural air pocket can be reached by sneaking into one of the galleries. But that’s not a reason why you don’t use your bottles during the lift: mandatory bearings!

6. L’épave de l’Alcione

One of the best known. One of the most exceptional, too. This dive in the heart of the bay of Ajaccio is ideal to observe many types of corals and a rich marine flora. But it is obviously more known for the Alcione, an Italian oil tanker, 35 metres deep since he sunk in 1943. This ship relies straight on its keel. The light games created by the sun make up a supernatural atmosphere.

If it is possible to penetrate in depth, it is highly recommended that you be content with front and rear bridges. If you don't know this advice, the hold, the cabins and the engine can be explored. Today, the Alcione is the home of merous, murene or apogons. Most curious girls will sometimes come to visit you. Now life has fully regained its rights in this wreck. It’s even better than a black tide...

7. The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle is located off the Île de Beauté and the Sanguinaires Islands, and is not unpleasant to our Quebec friends. This diving spot in Ajaccio, very vast, extends between 3 and 25 meters deep . Quiet waters, excellent visibility, lack of dangers: for a family initiation, this is the perfect place. Your progression will approach a rock head and a plateau where murene, congres and barracudas evolve.

From time to time, a lobster can be admired, not disturbed by the bubbles escaping from your relaxer. The site has the particularity of being quite crowded but its large size is an asset. The Tabernacle Plateau encompasses the entire Sanguinary Islands and offers a multitude of divers. There is only one to choose where to throw anchor!

8. The Sanguinary Islands

The Sanguinary Islands, let’s talk about it: it’s an archipelago of four magmatic rock islands. The origin of their name remains uncertain. If the rock that actually composes them in the sunset, the proximity of the Gulf of Sagone offers a more probable version. This is Natura 2000 website off the northern tip of the bay of Ajaccio allows diving in particular Isula spot .

Here a stone hill seems to rest at the bottom of the sea between 18 and 45 metres deep . There is a submarine canyon and flaws, shallow, flowing through the rocky block. The place is home to an astonishing aquatic biodiversity: multi-coloured algae, confident merous, small fish of fearful rocks, crustaceans and shellfish. A diving spot in Ajaccio that is worth the detour, even outside the water. The Sanguinary Islands are a true wonder to the authentic and preserved natural setting!