Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck, the area around Goliath's Nest

Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck · Greece · Cave & cavern

Goliath's Nest

A 70 m cave passage with its mouth between 22 and 34 m

Area photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0

Part of the Agios Georgios pinnacle, the same feature that carries The Chimney, and built around a large cave whose opening spans 22 to 34 metres with a passage around 70 metres in length. The operator says the site is home to the grouper it is named for. Area of interest is 15 to 35 metres, with 40 metres the maximum.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Goliath's Nest: typical dive 15–35 m (50–115 ft), deepest point 40 m (130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m35 m40 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

39.1310° N, 23.7990° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The site is part of the Agios Georgios pinnacle, the same underwater feature that carries The Chimney, and its centrepiece is the cave. The opening is large, spanning 22 to 34 metres from top to bottom, and the passage behind it runs around 70 metres in length, so the dive is planned around overhead time rather than around distance covered on the reef.

The depths are honest about what that costs: the area of interest is 15 to 35 metres and the site maximum is 40. The operator requires Open Water certification with Deep Diver specialty training and recommends nitrox, which is the right read for a long passage entered in the low thirties. The name comes from the grouper the operator says lives here.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
Month-by-month season rating for Goliath's Nest
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodOff-seasonOff-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.

Know before you go

  • The passage is around 70 m long with its mouth at 22 to 34 m - overhead time at depth, so gas planning and a light are not optional.

Questions divers ask

How big is the cave at Goliath's Nest?+

The cave opening spans 22 to 34 metres and the passage runs around 70 metres in length. The operator requires Open Water with Deep Diver specialty training for the site and recommends nitrox, with an area of interest at 15 to 35 metres.

Sources

  1. Goliath's Nest — Alonissos Triton Dive Center
  2. Alonissos Triton Dive Center dive sites — Scubaverse

More dive sites in Alonissos & the Peristera Wreck

One of the area's dive highlights, and an ideal night dive

10–18 mbeginner

Cave & cavern

Wall to 20 metres, then into the most famous cave on Alonissos

to 30 madvanced

A sharp drop to 50 m with openings and cracks in the face

15–28 m · max 50 madvanced

A boulder-strewn plain further offshore than the West side

15–30 m · max 45 mintermediate

Often ends in a small cave full of young fish

15–25 m · max 40 mintermediate

A drop-off from about 10 m to 33 m, then a seagrass bed

15–25 m · max 35 mintermediate

Similar dives elsewhere

Cave & cavern

Erica Cave

Halkidiki · Greece

A 40 m long cavern where shrimps, crayfish and lobsters breed

12–40 m · max 45 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Grotta dei Gamberi

Ustica · Italy

Walls that seem to move under thousands of massed shrimp

27–40 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Grotta di Nereo

Capo Caccia & Nereo Cave · Italy

Red coral and cup coral inside the Mediterranean's largest sea cave

to 35 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Butterfly Cave

Zakynthos · Greece

The exit opening is shaped like a huge butterfly

8–40 madvanced