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DIVING
CENTER "CETARIA"
Tonnara of Scopello
 The culture and tradition of the Tonnara of Scopello goes up to many centuries back; it is a wonderful place, full of history and legend.
According to reliable sources, tuna-fishing took place even before the coming of the Romans: the mythical city of Cetaria lay on the outskirts of the "tonnara"; Cetaria owes its name to the plenty of fish in the sea.
Our knowledge about Cetaria is rather scarce and we do not know so much also about the tonnara, which today has misteriously disappeared.
Historians say that the tonnara was restored and used again by the Arabs who handed down their noble skills to posterity.
The last tuna-slaughter at the tonnara of Scopello took place in the eighties.
The boathouses, where the boats and all the equipment are kept, still echo to the "Cialoma"(a propitiatory song that tuna-fishermen used to sing to get more strenght to haul in the nets.
Fishermen's houses are still today tidy and cosy.
The sea and the reserve
The reserve and the sea that laps its coast, thanks to their geographical position and to the deepth of the sea, can throw up encounters wich might elsewhere be considered extraordinary. It is not unusual, mainly during the spring or in the autumn to run into playful communities of "stenelle" (a particular type of dolphins), meeting oceanic cetaceax or even whales.
But it is the seabed that gives the divers with the greatest thrills: brightly coloured sponges, sea anemones and madrepores covering the sides of underwater caves and tunnels.
Colonies of astroides illuminate shadowy rockfaces and crevices Gorgonias reach out with their leafy arms, and spyrographes show off their multicoloured downy foliage.
The sheer rock faces, the submerged stacks, constitute the natural environment of white grouper, dentex, white bream, and the rocky peaks and sheers are the set destinations of tunny, and big pelagics fish.
Diving
 The tonnara of Scopello is the starting point for sea visit and it is the place where all diving is planned, diving which is suitable for both experts and beginners.
The places for these dives are a few miles from the diving center and it doesn't take long to reach them.
The colours of the seabed and the cristal clear water permit us to go snorkelling at a greater depth.
Canoeing in the magnificent area of Scopello between the towers and the stacks takes us back to days gone by.
The team of Cetaria diving center will show you the best places on the coast to go diving: the "Wreck of the Capua", a warship sunk during the II World War; the "Wreck of the Kent, known as the "Ship of the Korans", which went down in 1978," the Cave of Ficarella" whose entrance is 14 metres below sea level with a long corridor leading up towards the surface and coming out, above sea level, in a large cave covered with stalactites; the "cave of the Lion", consisting of three big caverns.
The "Parete dell'Impisu", the "Testa della porta", the " parete rossa" and the stacks are just a few of the many places that one can visit in Scopello.
Cetaria
The aim of THE CETARIA DIVING CENTER is to protect the submerged environmental and archaeological heritage.
All this thanks also to campaigns to increase people awarness and sense of social responsibility.
 The diving is limited to a few scuba-divers in order to assure assistance and safety.
Furthermore it is possible to go diving singularly in order to satisfy a great deal of different needs (photos, videos, research, unexperienced divers, revision check).
Cetaria : safety, professionalism, a wonderful experience that teaches you to enjoy and respect the nature at the same time.
How to get to Scopello
Diving
Reserve Sea
Send us a e-mail
Guided diving
Courses (different skills)
Baptism of the sea
Equipment renting
Underwater photography courses
Boat excursions
Blue weeks
Accomodation
The Natural Reserve of the "Zingaro"
The natural reserve of the "Zingaro" stretches between Scopello and S.Vito lo Capo.
The imposing mountains, the deep indentations and the wide valley that look out towards the sea, constitute the 1600 hectares of uncontaminated nature of the reserve.
Headlands, cliffs, coves, little white-pebbles beaches and caves succeed in quick succession for 7 km along the coast, which is considered to be of great scientific and environmental interest.
According to a regional law work was started in 1981 and it is looked after by the Regione Sicilia.
This reserve was the first protected area of the island and is one of the few oases still intact and protected from haphazard construction.
red rock that looks out towards the east: here lies the ancient village of Scopello, a few kilometres from Castellammare, a small town near Trapani.
Scopello is a seventeenth century courtyard surrounded by a few houses standing very close together, a small paved square, a stone drinking-trough. The tall Bennistra Tower dominates a green valley. Higher up towards the summit of Mount Sparagio (1200mt), there is the Wood of Scopello, where once deer, wolves and wild boar roamed.
The woods remind us of the times of Ferdinando III and of his hunting parties.
It was he who chose it as his royal game preserve. the land was witness to historical events and is surrounded by an air of mistery, fed by legends and stories that folk used to tell their children.
Scopello has a fascinating and involving atmosphere, its inhabitants are friendly and hospitable.
Visitors will have the chance to enjoy a wonderful stay, tasting the traditional fish-based cuisine, admiring the local ceramics, taking part in cultural events, visiting the "Natural Reserve of the Zingaro", finding accomodation in cosy houses confortable guest houses.
Per informazioni: Vittorio Ballerini - tel.
03683864808
tel. 0924541073 (estivo) · tel. 091341753
(invernale) · fax. 0916732754
Sede operativa: Tonnara di Scopello -
Castellammare del Golfo (TP) ITALY
E-mail: cetaria@usa.net
testi di: Vittorio Ballerini
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