6 places to scuba diving in Santorini • Wanderlix

Leaving for the Greek islands? Combine your visit to the archipelago with an underwater exploration! Here is our selection of the best diving spots in Santorini.

Known for its white and blue houses hung on the cliffs, Santorin is a must-see island on a trip to Greece. Ancient vestiges and spectacular landscapes offer many opportunities for activities.

If you are a scuba diving enthusiast, the waters that surround this bead of the Aegean reserve you beautiful surprises. All the typical fauna of Greece is present there, from tiny nudibranches to great pelagic like tunas and barracudas.

Between caves, lava castings, gravels and reefs, diving sites in Santorini are suitable for divers of all levels. The visibility, which regularly exceeds 20 meters, allows you to discover the spots in ideal conditions. To help you make your choice, we present you here the best diving spots in Santorini.

1. Kamari

Situated southeast of the island, Kamari is in good place in this ranking of the best diving spots in Santorini. You will find three different sites , constituting a great playground for beginner and confirmed divers. Well protected from waves, Kamari beach rock allows an entrance into the water from the beach. With a 7 metre background, it is an ideal site for baptisms and diving courses in Santorini.

Only 5 minutes by boat awaits you Kamari reef . Also appreciated by snorkelers, the reef sinks up to 19 meters deep. The soil is covered by colorful coral formations, a feast for underwater photographers.

Kamari wall is a tomb that descends vertically to a sandy plateau at 26 meters. Along the wall, you will appreciate the beauty of the gorgones that unfold as fragile lace. Open the eye in search of the delicate nudibranches and octopuses that camouflage on the rock.

2. Vlychada temple

South of the island, this dive site in Santorini is a 15-minute boat ride away. It is accessible from level 1 FFESSM or open water PADI and SSI . The maximum depth is 26 metres, but the main points of interest are in shallow waters.

This artificial park created for divers houses statues and amphoras, which serve as a refuge for a multitude of small fish. You will evolve as a fan in a mystical atmosphere, and can imagine yourself as an explorer of ancient times. Underwater archaeology enthusiasts especially appreciate the place!

3. Aspronisi

Aspronisi is a diving spot in Santorini renowned for the quality of its dives. This small circular island counts 9 different diving sites : to fill his days! The drops start between 7 and 9 metres and dive vertically up to 30 metres.

First you descend to the maximum depth and then you go back slowly by keeping the wall to the right or left hand, depending on the currents. It is necessary to focus on finding the nudibranches that hide in the middle of the soft corals. Beautiful multicolor gorgones add to the beauty of the sites. Do not forget to look in the blue, solitary barracudas sometimes cross in search of prey. Visibility is generally very good, often exceeding 20 metres.

4. Palea and Nea Kameni

These two islands are located in the heart of the caldeira and are one of the best diving spots in Santorini. After 30 minutes of navigation, your center will offer you to immerse yourself on one of the 7 sites in the area. Three wrecks nest in the area, some accessible to beginner divers:

• One. ship carrying passengers, which sunk in 1975, is only 10 meters deep. Life has not developed much because of the volcano’s disease emanations, but this dive is ideal for a first immersion on a wreck. The 34 meters long of the boat offer penetration possibilities for divers trained in this type of dive;
• One. Second World War boatresting at 13 metres;
• The Tug Boat, which lies 30 meters deep. It is the only deep wreck in Santorini and is reserved for the holders of a advanced open water or a French level. Visibility is usually very good and allows to kiss the whole boat by placing itself at the bow or the stern. By searching well, you can find scorpion fish that camouflage on the wreck, their colors blend perfectly with the hull of the boat.

Sites Volcano 1,2 and 3 allow to dive between 7 and 25 meters. You will discover huge rocks, multicolor sponges and a tray full of life.

Finally, on the website Twin Towers , you conclude your dives in Santorini by two massive rock formations that rise to the surface.

5. Thirassia

The island of Thirasia has some of the most beautiful diving spots in Santorini. Don’t miss Thirasia Revera, a walk along a vertical wall full of anfractuosities. Beautifully-sized cribs come to take refuge, a meeting that will delight divers for sure.

Mansell Reef is considered one of the best dive sites in Santorini, but also the whole country! The gravel starts at 6 meters and sinks up to 200 meters below the surface. This site is excited about the island of Thirasia, on the open side. The big pelagic are frequenting the place. You may have the chance to meet tunas, espadons, coryphen daurades and even sharks.

On Thirasia reef 1 and 2 , you will observe rock formations covered with multicolor sponges. In the shallowest parts, the sunlight accentuates the yellow, blue and red corals in an explosion of colors. Not far from Thirasia, Agios Nicolaos is a small island dominated by a beautiful Greek church. In addition to the beauty of the place, the reef welcomes a time of life, with some barracuda benches approaching the coasts to hunt.

6. Remezzo

Located south of the island but in the caldeira, this dive site in Santorini is a protected area, where fishing is prohibited . Under the impulse of divers, a marine park was created, resulting in a rapid increase in the quality of the seabed. The result is an abundant marine life, whether at the coral or at the typical fauna of Santorini.

You will evolve in fish clouds above gorgones and healthy sponges. The nudibranches are also present, for the greatest pleasure of underwater photographers.