Diving in the largest Greek island of Crete and witnessing the most beautiful Mediterranean underworld life is an amazing experience. It boasts a rich Mediterranean climate with clear water and almost zero currents making it suitable for all kinds of divers. You can see the hard and soft corals, spiny lobsters, octopuses, cuttlefish, crabs, and razorfish. Apart from this, you can also see hammerhead sharks, monk seals, dolphins, loggerhead turtles, and tuna. If you are lucky enough, you can dive past some of the most notable planes and shipwrecks underwater and make a memory worthwhile. Crete's water's incredible clarity and visibility are among the most critical factors that invite divers worldwide. It also has the best rock formations, caves, and caverns inside the sea. So visit Crete and dive into the underground world of magnificence and magic.
11 Diving Sites in Crete
The diving sites in Crete are divided into two regions - north of Crete and South of Crete. While most sites are in the north Crete, you can also find some of the most scenic sites in the south.
1. El Greco Cave
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Enter the world of underwater caves by diving into the El Greco Cave. The journey starts by descending and entering the caves at 17 m. Enter through the 8 m high cave opening and watch a new word unfurling in front of your eyes. Approximately 30 M in length, it is beautiful with stalagmites and stalactites. A group of almost eight diverse Kent enter the cave simultaneously and see the vertical siphon. You can also reach the top of the cave and see the air fill the room at the top, enjoying the view. This cave is perfect for beginners as well as advanced-level divers.
2. Big Anchor
Explore one of the most famous reefs in Agia Pelagia. The name is derived from the ancient anchor still standing stockily in the middle of the sea bed. The anchor is 3 m in height and is almost 400 years old, making it one of the most populous sites for history lovers. Around 33 m, and the water is also clearly visible up to that. While moving around the big anchor, you can meet beautiful Spanish dancers, giant sponges, angry snappers, and beautiful flora. This wreck is suitable for beginners as well as advanced divers.
3. Blue Cave
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Diving inside the Blue Cave in Crete is a fascinating experience close to the Agia Pelagia. This gigantic rock goes below up to 100 M, and divers can explore the underwater at a depth of up to 22 to 31 meters, depending on their experience levels. The width and length of the cave are around 12 and 11 M, respectively. You can use large rocks and reefs at the cave entrance and get an unforgettable glimpse of marine flora. Try to see the holes through torchlights and also explore the core point of the cave, where the sea meets the fresh water gushing into through the cave. If you are visiting in spring, there's a high chance to catch glimpses of groups of lobsters.
4. Dia Island
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Take a boat ride abroad, Petros Iro, and experience the beauty of the famous Dia Island day diving. The boat ride will take around 40 minutes to reach the location where you can choose from two dives - the Petalidi Islet diving and the Paksimadi Islet diving. Whichever you choose, you will enjoy the crystal clear blue water with a range of depths up to 30+ meters for advanced-level divers. There's hardly any current in the water. The island's scenic beauty is mesmerizing, the visibility of the water is fascinating, and the marine life is something to remember for a while. You can also go for a picnic after your dive on the island.
5. Shrimp Cave
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Located near Reqqa Point, the Shrimp Cave is the home of shrimps, thousands and thousands of them. This diving spot in Crete has a depth of around 34 meters. Divers will have to pass through a canyon and finally reach the cave with unbelievable beauty and biodiversity. This cave is called Cueva de las Gambas and is the habitat of narval shrimps. Explore this conservation site where the shrimps do not shy of the torchlight and are friends with the damselfish and sea slugs.
6. Kalypso Walls
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This diving spot in Crete is located in Kalypso Bay and has a depth of about 40 meters. You can see the colourful Kalypso wall covered in weeds and sponges - projecting a cinematic view of the site. Explore the bottom of the bay, and you can see fishes, crabs, and turtles roaming around in between rocks and boulders. There are also a few passages of shirt tunnels cut out from the boulders, caves of 25 meters in depth, and hiding octopuses in such holes. Groupers, morays, and starfishes are also very common here.
7. Messerschmitt Wreck
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Dive through a historically famous spot, the Messerschmitt Wreck, which was the German World War II fighter plane. It has a depth of 24 M, and you need to take a boat tour of around an hour to reach the spot. 800 m offshore. The aeroplane wreck has been standing in this area for decades, and you can also dive through the cockpit in the water. Get a glimpse of the machine guns, the ammunition belts, and even the shredded tail of the plane on the sea bed. Surprisingly even to date, the reason for the crash is not known to the locals. Dive through the wreck's nook and corners and experience a new adventure. The marine life of flora and fauna is also noteworthy.
8. Neptune's Rock
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The depth of the Crete Neptune' Rock dive site is approximately 28 m for advanced and 18 for beginner-level divers. This diving site is quite different from other sites and is one of the most preferred by experienced divers. Deep down, you can find the 25 m wide Neptune's Rock, home to dozens of cavities for shrimps, lobsters, and other sea animals to live. The sea bed is adorned with small and big boulders making it the perfect hiding spot for groupers and anemones to find a home. You can find different rock colours and octopuses playing with the same.
9. Daedalus
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This diving site in Crete is perfect for beginners to start their journey and also equally adventurous for advanced divers. The approximate depth of the diving site is 27 m, and you can see the first big rock at 22 m already. Divers can see a lot of marine life, including lobsters, octopuses, sea anemones, crabs, shrimps, and many others. The reef attached is equally attractive. The visibility of water is as clear as crystal almost throughout the year.
10. Mononaftis
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The word Mononaftis means lonely sailor, and it is a gigantic rock located approximately 50 m from the shore. It is situated near Agia Pelagia, one of Crete's largest dive sites, projecting one of the most beautiful marine life. The depth of this site varies between 18 m to 35m, applicable for both beginner and experience-level divers. Dive through the reef, small caves, and caverns and look for black scorpion fish, sea rabbits, stingrays, octopuses, groupers, morays, and many others. You can also spot squid, crabs, cuttlefish, and seahorses. If you are into night diving, keep your eyes open to spot a special kind of sea anemone, only seen at night.
11. Elephant Cave
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Rated as one of the top ten best dive sites worldwide, the Elephant Cave is situated in the Drepano area of the Akrotiri area. This cave, which is now a diving site, used to be the home of a rare species of elephants, and it still has remains of such, ageing thousands of years. The red and white stalactites and stalagmites are one of this site's specialities. Surprisingly, this dive site is not very old. It was recently discovered in 2000 by a local fisherman and is considered to have the unique characteristic of elephants that are not found elsewhere. The average width of the cave is around 25 m.
Best Time for Scuba Diving in Crete
One of the best times to visit Crete and enjoy an excellent diving session is during spring and fall. You can experience the perfect temperature from 22 to 27 degrees Celcius and experience almost zero current in the water, which is suitable for all levels of divers. The summer season in Crete starts in April and lasts until November. The average visibility is almost 30 m/98ft. This is the best time to experience Marine work under the Mediterranean water.
Diving Centers in Crete
Crete is a hotspot for divers from around the globe, and thus the region now has quite a several famous, reliable, and safe diving centres that will take care of you from the beginning to the end.
1. Divers Club Crete Address - Agia Pelagia Beach, PO Box 8471500 Heraklion, Crete, Greece Contact - +30-2810 811755
