Dive Sites
Campanella
dive site type: nature
difficulty: hard
depth range: 12-63
distance from the diving center: 5 nm
This famous dive site is situated on the western shore of the island of Hvar. Campanella – Italian for “belfry”. It is a monumental, underwater rock spire located to the west of the island of Mali Vodnjak, belonging to the archipelago of the Pakleni Otoci.
Campanella rises from depths of 60–70 meters to just 13 meters below the surface. Like most formations exposed to the open sea, it is swept by strong currents that feed its rich growth of corals, sponges, and bryozoans.
The site is home to large scorpionfish, red mullet, striped mullet, conger eels, and moray eels, as well as schools of seabream (sargus) and chromis.
The rock walls are adorned with striking fans of red gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata), extending from depths of around 18–20 meters all the way down to the seabed.
Another highlight of the dive is swimming through a natural rock window at a depth of 32–36 meters, cutting through a rock pillar that extends southward from Campanella.
On a separate dive, it is worth circling the so-called Small Campanella—a formation separated from the main peak by a saddle and forming, together with Campanella, a compact underwater mountain range. Due to its significant depths and frequent strong currents, Campanella is a site best suited for advanced divers.
