THE BEST GREEK ISLANDS FOR DIVING AND SNORKELING IN GREECE

Why Greece is an incredible spot for diving and snorkelling

The Mediterranean may not be the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef – don’t expect coral reefs creating homes for millions of colourful fish and marine life.

There is plenty of other marine life, however – fish of various sizes and species, dolphins, sea turtles, whales and, of course, octopus. You may even see Monk Seals if you are lucky.

But there is a huge number of shipwrecks as well as underwater archaeological sites, which are not things you will typically find in coral reefs.

Further to that, there are:

• Volcanic formations and lava tubes: Particularly around Santorini, with underwater lava formations, walls, caverns and swim-throughs created by the island’s volcanic history.
• Sea caves and caverns: Found around many islands, especially Crete, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Karpathos and the Dodecanese. Some are straightforward recreational dives, while others require cave-diving qualifications.
• Submerged ancient settlements: Pavlopetri, off Laconia in the Peloponnese, is a roughly 5,000-year-old submerged settlement. It’s primarily a snorkelling/archaeological site rather than an ordinary scuba dive site, but it’s extraordinary.
• Walls and drop-offs: Greece has some excellent dramatic wall diving, particularly where mountainous islands plunge directly into deep water. Crete, Kalymnos, Karpathos and Amorgos are good examples.
• Underwater canyons and gorges: Rocky channels, fissures and steep underwater landscapes are common around Greece’s more rugged islands.
• Reefs and rock formations: Not tropical coral reefs, obviously, but Mediterranean rocky reefs covered with sponges, anemones, soft corals and other marine life.
• Aircraft wrecks: Greece has an unusually interesting collection of submerged WWII aircraft, including Bristol Beaufighters, Junkers Ju 52s and other German and Allied aircraft. Leros is particularly good for this.
• Artificial reefs: Deliberately sunk vessels have created dive sites in several areas, including around Attica and some islands.
• Underwater freshwater springs: Greece’s limestone geology produces submarine springs and unusual freshwater-seawater environments, particularly around the Ionian islands and Peloponnese.

Zakynthos

Where is Zakynthos?

Zakynthos is one of the Greek islands in the Ionian sea. It belongs to the Ionian Islands, the closest islands to Italy, and it is the third largest island of the archipelago. It is south of Corfu, Lefkada and Kefalonia.

How to get there

You can reach Zakynthos either by airplane or by ferry. Zakynthos has an airport that receives domestic flights from Athens and Kefalonia and international flights from numerous locations around Europe.

The ferries to Zakynthos depart daily from Killini, a town in the Peloponnese, and the ride is about an hour long. There are a number of great towns and villages to stay in Zakythnos, which caters to all travel styles and budgets.

Diving and SNORKELLING in Zakynthos 

With its two different coastlines and a marine park established to safeguard the nesting of loggerhead turtles, Zakynthos is one of the best Greek islands for snorkelling. The perfect area for snorkelling in Zante is the south coast, where you can find Laganas Bay, where the rare sea turtles live.

One fantastic snorkelling spot is Porto Limnionas Beach, with gleaming turquoise waters and a variety of caves and well-sculpted rock formations where you can spot urchins, reef fish, and sea turtles.

For diving lovers, around Zakynthos’ southwestern promontory, there are numerous submerged caves. A popular diving spot is Lakka beach, with an undersea arch at a depth of 12 meters. The area is covered in colourful sponges, and you can meet all kinds of fish, from blennies to parrot fish.

Lakka is ideal for beginners and intermediate divers. For those with more diving experience, the Cave Tunnel is the spot to be. It is also known as Butterfly Cave for its peculiar entrance. 

Another incredible diving spot in Zakynthos is Dafni beach, characterised by a huge labyrinth of large rocks and sandy floors home to marine creatures and perfectly preserved ancient amphorae. In Dafni’s seabed, you can also see a sunk motorcycle guarded by big scorpionfish.

Crete 

Where is Crete?

Crete is located between the Sea of Crete and the Libyan Sea, south of the Peloponnese. Crete is Greece’s largest island and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea.

How to get there

You can travel to Crete either by ferry or aeroplane. Various harbours in Crete offer numerous ferry connections to mainland Greece and the other Greek islands. During the summer, there are daily ferries from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Crete’s harbours of Chania, Heraklion, and Sitia.

The port of Heraklion serves regular itineraries to Rhodes and Santorini, while from Chania, there are ferry connections to Kythira, Antikythira, and the mainland town of Gythio.

Crete also has two major airports. Chania and Heraklion serve international and domestic flights from mainland Greece, the Cyclades Islands, and the Dodecanese Islands. 

Diving and Snorkeling in Crete 

Crete is considered to have among the best snorkelling and diving in Greece, thanks to its sandy bays and rocky coves, suited for all levels. There are dozens of sites to choose from, with spectacular caves, reefs, wrecks, and even sunken ancient cities!

If you want to snorkel or dive without being surrounded by many people, you should head to Crete’s southern coast. Pro divers cannot miss the Elephant’s Cave on the northwest coast, near Chania. 

 Around Chania, there are also incredible stone arches and shallow-water reefs, which are ideal spots if you are a beginner.

Another incredible diving spot in Crete is the Bay of Elounda, where there are the ruins of a Minoan-period city, sunken following a large earthquake. The seabed in the waters between Elounda and Agios Nikolaos is covered by archaeological remains, from ceramic vases and amphorae to World War II aircraft wrecks.

The best place on Crete to admire marine sea life by snorkeling and diving is the north coast, especially the area around Skinaria.

Alonissos

Where is Alonissos

Alonnisos is an island in the Sporades Islands, in the western Aegean sea north of Athens. The island is located east of mainland Greece, and it is the least touristy and developed island in the Sporades archipelago.

How to get to Alonissos

There is no airport in Alonissos; the closest one is located in Skiathos, which services domestic flights and some International ones too in summer. Once off the plane, you need to take a ferry to get to Alonissos, and the trip from Skiathos to Alonissos lasts two hours.

Alonissos is connected by sea to Volos, Evia, Kymi, and Skiathos. Unfortunately, there are no direct ferry routes from Athens to Alonissos.

Alonissos Diving and Snorkeling

The Sporades islands are a great Greek destination if you plan to explore the underwater world. The small island of Alonissos is particularly amazing for snorkelers.

Alonnisos is inside the largest natural marine park in the Mediterranean, home to the rare Mediterranean monk seal.

The ‘National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades’ is one of the best-preserved ecosystems in the Mediterranean, the perfect place to spot all kinds of marine life. The waters around Megalos Mourtias beach, on west Alonissos, are inhabited by many moray eels, stone fish, octopuses, and massive groupers that you can admire while snorkelling.

Another great spot to see marine life is the Gorgonian Gardens, where you can spot many beautiful red and yellow gorgonians with small crabs and other animals living in the rocks. However, this site is located at a great depth so that it can be explored only by advanced divers.

Among the best diving spots in Alonissos, the Blue Cave is perfect for beginners and advanced scuba divers alike. 

A true underwater treasure is located just south of Alonnisos, near the tiny island of Peristera. Here lies one of the most important ancient shipwrecks ever found in Greece. The 5th-century BC Greek cargo ship carried 4,000 mostly intact amphorae lying on the seabed at a depth of around 30 meters. The dive, suited for intermediate divers, is truly spectacular! This remarkable site is in the process of being turned into an underwater museum.

Rhodes

Where is Rhodes?

Rhodes is one of the Dodecanese Islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, near the coast of Turkey. The Dodecanese archipelago is formed by a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller islands, with Rhodes being one of the most historically relevant islands alongside Kos and Patmos.

How to get to Rhodes

To get to Rhodes, you can fly or catch a ferry. The island has an international airport that serves flights from several European cities. As for domestic flights, direct ones regularly leave from Athens and Thessaloniki.

Rhodes is connected via ferry with Athens, Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos – among others. It is also connected to Turkey.

Diving and SNORKELLING in Rhodes

Rhodes is a great island for diving, thanks to its large size, extremely clear waters, and the interesting geology of its coastline.

Among the most interesting diving sites in Rhodes are the Great Cave Cleobulus Tomb in Lindos, the Mediterranean Reef in Saint Paul’s Bay, and the Complex of Caves in Pentanissos islet.

These sites are perfect to explore while snorkelling; as for diving, some sites are ideal for beginners, while others are only for experienced divers.

The most popular diving spot is Kalithea Bay, on the northeastern coast, which is home to over 30 different fish species and plants. Don’t miss the Blue Hole, a cave that looks pitch-black inside, but as soon as you go in, everything will shine thanks to the daylight streaming in from above.

Kalithea also has a fantastic spot for snorkelling, the Crystal Fish Alley, where you can often spot huge schools of tiny fish and barracuda.

Moving down the island’s coast, an unmissable diving site is at Plimiri beach, with the stunning Giannoula shipwreck and the underwater life with shoals of tuna, barracuda, and dogfish. Plimiri beach is one of the best spots to dive in Rhodes, but it is only for experienced divers. 

Santorini 

Where is Santorini?

Santorini is part of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea. It is located halfway between Athens and Crete, and it is one of the most popular destinations in Europe.

How to get there

Santorini can be reached by either air travel or ferry. The island has an airport that serves direct and international flights. Usually, flights from Europe are operated by low-cost airlines.

There are regular ferries to Santorini from Athens as well as many other Greek islands, including the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and Crete. 

Diving and Snorkeling in Santorini

Santorini offers plenty of exciting options for scuba diving enthusiasts. The volcanic eruptions have created countless underwater lava formations and caves where marine animals and plants have found their homes.

While it is possible to enjoy Santorini’s fascinating seabed snorkelling, diving is the best way to explore it.

One of the most popular diving spots is the small uninhabited island of Nea Kameni. It is located inside one of Santorini’s flooded calderas, which was formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history.

Unmissable is a visit to the wreck of the sunken vessel Santa Maria, a 34-meter-long passenger boat from the 1970s, and you can discover this incredible site even if you are a beginner diver. Another exceptional amateur-friendly diving spot in Nea Kameni contains the wreck of a WWII boat.

If you are an advanced diver, you should instead visit the Tugboat, an impressive wreck that lies 30 meters deep, which is the only deep wreck in Santorini.

Santorini offers several other amazing diving and snorkelling sites, such as Kamari beach and Vlychada beach.

While in Santorini, don’t miss a dive to the nearby small island of Palea Kameni, which offers great options for drop-offs and wall dives. Large deposits of pumice and dacite formed the island, and inside and around the stunning lava formations, you can admire some spectacular marine life, including seahorses, octopuses, squid, and moray eels.

Further reading: Head to our Santorini page for heaps more! 

Image courtesy of hydrovius dive centre

Leros

Where is Leros?

Leros is one of the Dodecanese Islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea, located between Patmos and Kalymnos and close to the coast of Turkey. It is a relatively small and laid-back island, known for its beautiful natural harbours, Italian architecture and fascinating WWII history.

Lakki, on the western side of the island, has one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean and was an important Italian naval base during WWII.

The island’s strategic importance led to the Battle of Leros in 1943, and many remnants of this turbulent period can still be found both on land and beneath the sea.

How to get to Leros

Leros can be reached by both air and ferry. The island has a small domestic airport with flights from Athens, while ferries connect Leros with Piraeus and numerous islands in the Dodecanese and eastern Aegean.

There are particularly useful ferry connections with nearby Patmos, Lipsi, Kalymnos and Kos, making Leros easy to include in a Dodecanese island-hopping itinerary.

Diving and Snorkelling in Leros

Leros is one of the most fascinating diving destinations in Greece, particularly for wreck diving.

The fierce Battle of Leros in 1943 left an extraordinary collection of ships, aircraft, landing craft and military equipment on the seabed around the island, making the waters around Leros something of an underwater WWII museum.

The most famous wreck is the Vasilissa Olga (Queen Olga), a Greek destroyer sunk by German aircraft in Lakki Bay on 26 September 1943. Much of the wreck lies at around 30 to 40 metres, so it is primarily a dive for experienced and appropriately qualified divers.

There are numerous other wartime wrecks around Leros, including the remains of a German Heinkel He 111 bomber near Blefouti, German landing craft and other vessels lost during the fighting. 

It isn’t all about WWII. The clear waters surrounding Leros also offer reefs, rocky walls, caves and interesting underwater formations, with good visibility for much of the diving season.

Snorkelling is possible from many of the island’s beaches and rocky coves, particularly where the coastline has rocks and reefs rather than a purely sandy bottom. Blefouti, Gourna, Dio Liskaria and the coastline around Xirokampos are good areas to explore with a mask and snorkel.

The island’s main dive operator is Hydrovius Diving Center at Crithoni, between Agia Marina and Alinda. It offers recreational and technical diving, courses, introductory dives, equipment rental and boat dives to sites around Leros. 

Further reading: Head to our Guide to Leros for heaps more!

Other islands in Greece known for diving and snorkelling

• Kea: One of Greece’s most important wreck-diving destinations. Its waters contain several major historic wrecks, including the Britannic, sister ship of the Titanic, as well as the Burdigala and Patris. Some lie at considerable depth and are suitable only for experienced technical divers.
• Kalymnos: Famous for its centuries-old sponge-diving tradition, Kalymnos has caves, reefs, dramatic rock formations and excellent visibility. The waters around Kalymnos and nearby Telendos offer both recreational diving and easy snorkelling.
• Mykonos: Better for diving than many visitors realise. Several wrecks can be explored around the island, along with reefs and rocky sites. Nearby Rhenia is particularly attractive for its clear water, marine life and traces of ancient pottery scattered across the seabed.
• Paros: A particularly good all-round destination, with shipwrecks, a submerged WWII aircraft, reefs and rocky formations. Its numerous sheltered bays and clear, relatively shallow waters also make it excellent for snorkelling.
• Kefalonia: The island’s limestone geology has created an extraordinary landscape of caves, caverns, underwater springs and steep walls. Its famously clear Ionian waters are equally appealing to divers and snorkellers.
• Corfu: Particularly good for underwater caves, arches, walls and dramatic drop-offs. The rugged coastline around Paleokastritsa is one of the island’s most interesting areas for exploring beneath the surface.
• Paxos: The island’s spectacular limestone cliffs continue below the water, producing caves, caverns, arches, tunnels and steep walls. The remarkably clear water makes Paxos excellent for both diving and snorkelling.
• Amorgos: Known for exceptionally clear, deep Aegean water and dramatic underwater scenery. Divers can explore walls, caves, reefs and steep drop-offs, with visibility often one of the biggest attractions.
• Naxos: Offers a good mixture of reefs, rocky formations, walls, caves and wrecks, with sites suitable for different experience levels. Its many beaches and sheltered coves also provide plenty of accessible snorkelling.
• Milos: Volcanic geology makes this one of Greece’s most visually interesting islands both above and below water. Divers and snorkellers can explore caves, tunnels, arches, unusual rock formations and colourful mineral-rich seabeds, particularly around the spectacular coastline near Kleftiko.
• Chios: An underrated diving destination with caves, walls, reefs and steep underwater terrain. Its rocky eastern Aegean coastline creates plenty of interesting environments for experienced divers.
• Kythira: Offers clear water, caves and rocky reefs, as well as wreck diving. The most obvious wreck is the Nordland near Diakofti, part of which remains dramatically visible above the surface. 

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