Stintino, Sardinia, Italy

Asinara

Asinara is a long, wild island off the northwest tip of Sardinia, accessed from Stintino. Once an Italian prison and quarantine station, the entire island has been a national park and Marine Protected Area since the late 1990s, leaving its waters in exceptional condition. Dive sites are scattered along the granite and schist coasts, ranging from shallow boulder fields and Posidonia meadows to deep walls plunging beyond 40 metres. Punta Scorno, Cala d'Oliva and the offshore secche are renowned for thick red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) forests below 25 metres, large dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus), passing schools of amberjack, barracuda and dentex, plus moray eels and octopus among the rocks. Pelagic encounters with tuna and the occasional sunfish are reported in summer. Visibility frequently exceeds 25 metres and currents range from weak to moderate, with stronger flow on offshore pinnacles. The protected status keeps fish biomass high and most sites suit intermediate to advanced divers. Boat access only.