Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck · Greece · Cave & cavern · Wall
Blue Cave
Wall to 20 metres, then into the most famous cave on Alonissos
Photo: Chris Taklis · CC BY-SA 4.0
A former pirate raid bay and the best-known sea landmark on Alonissos, dived as a wall-and-cavern route. The profile follows an imposing vertical wall down to about 20 metres, then turns back to the cave entrance, whose interior reveals itself in stages. Light reflected off the turquoise water creates the shades the roof is known for. Maximum depth is 30 metres, at Advanced diver level.
Where it is and how deep
39.2485° N, 23.9725° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts outside the landmark rather than inside it. An imposing vertical wall drops to around 20 metres and sets up the first half of the profile; the site bottoms out at 30 metres, which is why the dive centre lists Advanced diver as the minimum level rather than opening the site to entry-level certifications.
From the wall you turn back towards the cave entrance, and the interior reveals itself in stages as you go in; the dive centre describes this half of the dive as a journey of adventure and exploration. The bay is best known for the shades created on its roof by light reflected off the turquoise water, and it was a pirate raid bay long before it was a dive site.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck: The underwater museum and most operators run May–Oct only; meltemi winds can close the exposed Peristera site in midsummer.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Blue Cave on Alonissos?+
The site runs to a maximum of 30 metres, with the vertical wall on the outside of the cave dropping to about 20 metres before the route turns back towards the entrance.
What level do you need for the Blue Cave dive?+
The dive centre lists Advanced diver as the minimum level. Depth is the reason: the site reaches 30 metres, and the route combines a vertical wall with the overhead environment inside the cave.
Sources
- Blue Cave dive site — Ikion Diving Alonissos
- Alonissos Triton dive sites — Alonissos Triton Dive Center
Photo credits
- Boat's-eye view into the Blue Cave entrance on Alonissos, turquoise water beneath a dark overhanging rock arch by Chris Taklis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck
Wall from 8 m to 30 m, with rock running on to 50 m
The shallow half of the cove, with its best rock at 8 to 20 m
Reef
One of the area's dive highlights, and an ideal night dive
Cave & cavern
A 70 m cave passage with its mouth between 22 and 34 m
A sharp drop to 50 m with openings and cracks in the face
A boulder-strewn plain further offshore than the West side
Often ends in a small cave full of young fish
A drop-off from about 10 m to 33 m, then a seagrass bed
Similar dives elsewhere
A 70 m tunnel straight through the islet, lit at both ends
Three caves, the deepest at 30–35 m ringed with red coral
A huge cavern in the Dwejra drop-off, walls lined with sponges
A cave below the Eden Roc hotel, wide enough to swim through