Alghero, Sardinia, Italy

Grotta del Falco

Grotta del Falco is one of Capo Caccia's most photographed underwater caves, located along the same vertical limestone cliffs that host Grotta di Nereo. The cave opens at around 22 metres and descends to roughly 38 metres in its deeper sections, with a vast main chamber whose vault soars upward like a cathedral. On calm summer mornings, sunlight filters down through fractures in the rock and creates dramatic light shafts that make the dive a favourite for underwater photographers. The walls are densely covered with yellow encrusting Parazoanthus, orange Astroides calycularis, and red and yellow sponges, with red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata on the deeper outer faces. Common sightings include forkbeard (Phycis phycis), conger eel, slipper lobster, scorpionfish, brown meagre, and large dusky groupers near the entrance. The cave name comes from peregrine falcons that nest on the cliffs above. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer; currents inside are negligible. Recommended for advanced divers with overhead training, this is a benchmark Mediterranean cave dive within the Capo Caccia – Isola Piana Marine Protected Area.