So as you may know, this summer we went to Italy and for the first part of the trip we did some freediving at the Cristo Degli Abissi (Christ of the Abyss) site. It was amazing, the highlight of the trip for me but it could have been a disaster. When researching the dive site online we noticed accurate, reliable information on Cristo degli Abissi was pretty rare. Now that we’ve gone and found it ourselves I thought I would give you guys a guide to getting there, finding it and not getting ripped off by scams. So first off, what is Cristo degli Abissi?

Cristo degli Abissi

The pictures explain what it is better than I can but I will give it a go. Cristo degli Abissi is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus Christ. Several copies of the statue exist around the world now (3 or 4) but this is the original and I think the most stunning and well located. The statue is a cast from a clay positive found in the Abby which overlooks the bay. This is the work of Guido Galletti, placed near the site where the first Italian to use SCUBA gear (Dario Gonzatti) died. The atmosphere around this site is indescribable. Ever since I first saw it, I knew I would visit one day and when we decided to go to Italy, I told Vivian that we had to go.

Where is it?

Italy. Near Genoa on the coast of north east Italy. Nearer still to Portofino, Cristo degli Abissi is located in bay of San Fruttuoso. That was about as much info on its location as we got when we headed there. When we got to San Fruttuoso we found that no one was inclined to give us directions to the dive site, probably because there was a good trade in taking tourists out to see the statue for €80 per 20 mins. Instead of giving up and paying to look at the statue through a window in the bottom of a boat we started swimming and eventually we found it. So before I give you directions on how to swim there, a word of warning, we were the only people who swam there during our visit for a couple reasons.

Jelly Fish

When we were there, so were a lot of stinging jelly fish. As long as you don’t touch them, you’re grand but they give a powerful kick. We were chilling on the beach and every 30 minutes someone would sprint from the water screaming because of the stings. One woman who kayaked to Cristo degli Abissi put her face in the water to see the statue. Unfortunately she face planted right into one of these evil squishies and was in a bad way. We all got stung, it’s sore but the pain passes after a couple of minutes, Ewan, however, got a cracker which took a few weeks to fade away. I met one group of freedivers who abandoned the swim out to Cristo degli Abissi because they were scared of the jellies so just bare in mind, it’s not for the faint hearted.

Boats which might run you over

The actual dive site it “protected” by some no entry buoys. This is ignored by local tourist traffickers and one nearly took my head off as I surfaced. The bay is pretty busy with traffic and if they hit you outside of the swimming areas… then it’s kinda your fault. We brought a bright orange buoy to swim with and stuck close to the shore on the way out. If a boat is heading for you and ain’t stopping just head for the bottom and always watch out when you surface.

Deep Open Water

The swim is 20 minutes at a good pace from the beach into some deep water (25-30 m at some points). Don’t try it if you are not capable. Saying that, it follows the shore line so you can always bail out onto the rocks although the swell might cheese grater you against the barnacles. 

Getting lost

Cristo degli Abissi is 17-20 m underwater so you won’t see it until you are pretty much on top of it. If the visibility is decent and you follow this guide you shouldn’t have any issues but without knowing where you are going it’s really hard to find. Ewan and I swam about diving down mooring lines for half a day before we figured it out.

CRISTO DEGLI ABISSI from San Fruttuoso swimming

In San Fruttuoso there are 2 beaches separated by rocky point. Go to the beach which is closest to Portofino. Looking at the bay from the sea, this is the beach on the right hand side. It’s easy to know you are on the right beach as you will have to walk through a cafe to get onto the beach, it’s the narrower of the two beaches and further from the Abby. Once on this beach, looking out to sea, the rocky point will be on your right with a quay were boats drop people off. Enter the water here, swim out following the coast line on the left. You will dive under the rope lining the swimming zone and follow the rocks round a point into the first mini-bay. In this bay you will see a lot of moorings and small boats at anchor, you are about half way there.

Keep following the coast line further out of the bay, the next cove has white marker buoys in a semi-circle around it, further out there is a larger orange buoy.  Cristo Degli Abissi is about two thirds between the shore and the buoys (closer to the buoys). During the day you will see small boats come in here to let tourists see the statue through a viewing glass. Congratulations, you’ve found it.

San Fruttuoso from Portofino

There are two ways to get to San Fruttoso from Portofino, one is free and the other is not. The first day we hiked over the hill in flip flops carrying our freediving kit. It was doable but a bit of a trek in the heat, especially with the kit but the route is well signposted. It took us 1.5 – 2 hours and the views were pretty spectacular. For those too apnea eager to waste time walking there is a boat which can take you from Portofino or Santa Margherita for about €10-12 return. It’s nice to cruise past all the super yachts and see how the 1% live but there is one major disadvantage to getting the boats and that’s the crowds. Fortunately none of these people make it to Cristo Degli Abissi but it makes exploring the surrounding area difficult. They all disappear on the last boat so if you don’t mind walking home you can have the place all to yourself. 

Anyway, the trip was amazing and I would recommend you go. Don’t think, just do it. If you need some inspiration, check out this video from our freediving trip! Any questions, just post below.

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