Cape Greco & Ayia Napa · Cyprus · Wall · Cave & cavern
Cape Greco Canyon
Towering rock walls and boulders reached down two cliff ladders
Area photo: Fry72, Karel Frydrýšek · CC BY-SA 4.0
A wall dive with smaller caves under the cliffs of Cape Greco, reached only by 4x4, a demanding hike down the cliffs and two vertical ladders. The effort keeps it for fit, experienced divers, who find towering rock walls, massive boulders and cone snails in their thousands on the sandy bottom, between 5 and 20 m.
Also known as Canyon, Cape Greco, The Canyon.
Where it is and how deep
34.9613° N, 34.0643° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Getting in sets the tone: an off-road drive, a demanding hike down the Cape Greco cliffs and two vertical ladders to the water. Bad winter weather sometimes carries the ladders away, so their state is worth checking before the day. Once in the water there are two ways to go: turn right and follow the wall, with its towering rock faces, massive boulders and smaller caves, or head out on a bearing of 190 degrees to a small pinnacle.
The wall runs from about 5 m down to a maximum of 18 to 20 m. Out from the wall lie three little islands covered with seagrass, worth a closer look on the way. Cone snails are found in their thousands on the sandy bottom, and monkfish, moray eels, groupers, soldierfish, ornate and rainbow wrasse and stingrays are all seen along the route.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Cape Greco & Ayia Napa: Diving is possible year-round; May to October brings the warmest water and greater marine-life abundance.
Know before you go
- The ladders into the water can be missing after winter storms; confirm they are in place before carrying kit down the cliff.
- The hike down the cliffs is demanding with dive gear; good fitness and strength are needed for the climb back up.
Dive videos
Canyon Dive, Protaras, Cyprus 1/2 · Anthony Redpath on YouTube
Sources
- Canyon, Cape Greco — Scubago
- Diving spots Ayia Napa - Protaras — Visit Famagusta
- Canyon | Underwater Journeys — Underwater Journeys
- Dive sites: Herbies Diving Paradise — Herbie's Diving Paradise
More dive sites in Cape Greco & Ayia Napa
Reef
A shallow training beach that never goes deeper than 6 m
Cave & cavern
Daylit swim-throughs up to 30 m long at Cape Greco
Amphora remains at 5 m and a slope past 40 m below a chapel
Wall
A shore entry onto a cliff that runs down to 40 m
Reef
A statue of Atlantis and a small canyon in a protected bay
Reef
Stone columns and statues at 9 m in a shallow training bay
Reef
A drop-off to 11 m and a deepest point of 18 m from the shore
Wreck
Three connected holds on an upright cargo ship at 18 to 28 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A great arch under the white limestone stack off Masua
Sea stacks five minutes from port: a wall from 4 m to 20 m, an arch and a swim-through
A crack at 12 m rising to a swim-through cave at 6 m
A statue of the Madonna placed inside a cave at 14 m