Arenata
Protected Area
Fondali di Capo San Marco - Sciacca
Why dive here
With 60+ marine species recorded in the area - including dolphins, sea turtles and sperm whales - Arenata offers some of Ustica's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 15°C.
Arenata isn't your typical wreck dive, and that's precisely why we love it. This is a shipwreck for snorkelers, a historical footnote found literally metres from shore, with its metal bones breaking the surface at points. It’s the remains of a small freighter, the Arenata, sunk in 1943. We often head there after a morning dive, just to splash around and explore the twisted metal structure. The shallowness means light plays beautifully over everything. You can watch the sun dance across the rust-coloured hull plates, and every nook and cranny seems to house something interesting. Little damselfish flit amongst the rebar, and we’ve spotted small octopus tucked into the crevices more than once. It’s a fantastic spot for photographers looking for something a bit different, or for families with younger snorkelers. While you won't be descending to explore engine rooms, you get a palpable sense of history, right there at the surface. Our favourite time to go is late afternoon, as the light softens and the water calms.
Typical Arenata Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Arenata Wreck History
Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
grounding
The wreck known as "Arenata" off the famed diving island of Ustica likely gets its name from the Italian word for "run aground." This is a fitting description for the fate of this small cargo ship, which met its end after being driven ashore by a fierce storm. While the vessel's original name and the exact year of its loss are uncertain, local lore often places the event in the 1970s. It was a victim of the unpredictable Mediterranean weather, a common fate for many ships navigating these historic waters.
Resting in a mere meter of water, the Arenata is more a part of the coastline than a deep-sea wreck. Its hull, torn apart by the initial impact and subsequent storms, is scattered across the shallow seabed, with portions of the superstructure breaking the surface. This makes it a spectacular site for snorkelers and photographers, who can capture the dramatic interplay of rusted metal, white surf, and the clear blue Sicilian water. Divers can explore the wreckage as part of a shallow shore dive, discovering the resilient marine life that has colonized the twisted steel plates.
Reviews for Arenata
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Arenata
Arenata Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Arenata, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (38.72, 13.18) (0km away)
August Averages
Sea Temperature
15.49°C
60°F
Air Temperature
27°C
81°F
Wind Speed
5.68 m/s
11.0 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1013.3 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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