Ischia, Campania, Italy

Sant'Angelo

Sant'Angelo is a volcanic headland on the southern coast of Ischia, dominated by the picturesque village of the same name. Underwater, the cape extends as a stepped reef of dark volcanic rock that descends from a shallow rocky platform near 6 metres to about 35 metres on a rocky and sandy base. A notable feature of the area is the presence of active hydrothermal vents along the seabed, releasing warm water and small streams of bubbles. The walls below 18 metres support yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and red and yellow sponges, with patches of red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) in the deeper sections. Resident species include dusky groupers, brown meagre, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish; salema and damselfish schools, sea breams and ornate wrasses are common. The site sits within the Regno di Nettuno MPA. Visibility is typically 12–22 metres.