San Felice del Benaco, Lombardy, Italy

San Felice del Benaco

San Felice del Benaco, on the western shore of Lake Garda just south of Salò, is one of the most popular freshwater shore dive sites in Italy. The dive follows a rocky slope that descends gradually from the shore to about 30 metres, with terraces of submerged rocks, pebble beds and patches of freshwater vegetation. Several artificial features placed by the local community over the years, including a small submerged Madonna statue and other religious sculptures, are now part of the underwater landscape and popular waypoints for buddy navigation. The lake fauna is freshwater and includes pike (Esox lucius), perch, lake trout, carp, bullhead and small shoals of bleak; resident shoals of perch around submerged logs and rocks are characteristic. Visibility ranges from 5 to 12 metres depending on season and lake circulation, with the best clarity typically in late spring and autumn. The site is an easy shore entry from a public lakefront and is widely used for training in freshwater diving.