Mediterranean · Turkey
Datça & the Knidos Peninsula
Huge dusky and golden grouper and circling barracuda in impressive visibility
Datça sits on the peninsula west of Marmaris, and its coast holds 40 named dive sites, known for reef, wall and cave diving rather than wrecks. Dive centres in Datça town and gulets cruising from Bozburun dive the sunken reef of Seven Pinnacles, the crevices of Armutlu Burnu by day and night, and the wall at Üç Taş. Huge dusky and golden grouper and impressive visibility bring divers here.
About diving in Datça & the Knidos Peninsula
At Seven Pinnacles small boats drop divers straight onto the top of the reef. İnce Burun, the farthest point on the Datça boat route, is 45 minutes from the harbour. Atabol Beacon is reached only by charter boat. Gulets offer a slower way along the coast: multi-day cruises leave Bozburun or Marmaris and work their way along the peninsula, usually anchoring for a night at Aktur.
At Üç Taş three big rocks 8 m high stand on the sand, and the site is rich in fish, with rays and big fish. Armutlu has very old amphorae at 30 m and a cave full of shrimp. Small schools of amberjack, two-banded bream and dusky spinefoot are seen, with turtles on the way up. Underwater cultural assets are covered by Turkish Law no. 2863.
The diving is varied and suits every level of diver. Visitors without a certificate can make a try dive: a short briefing on the boat covers basic safety and skills, and the dive is made one-to-one with an instructor. İnce Burun suits deep and wall dives, with large dusky grouper, broken jars and amphorae, and two big old iron anchors, possibly from Ottoman galleons, lie at 45 m at Ada Tepe near Aktur.
Best time to dive Datça & the Knidos Peninsula
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Gulet cruises of 7 to 10 days, about eighteen a year, work the peninsula from the start of May to mid-November. The sea is coolest in February and March at about 17 °C and warmest in August at about 26 °C. The Bodrum ferry crosses two or three times daily from June to August and four times a week in April, May, September and October.
Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Dive types & marine life
Huge dusky and golden grouper greet divers at Datça, with circling barracuda likely on the same dive. An angel shark is a fair chance on the sand near the wreck of the SG52 Coast Guard boat, and turtles appear on the way up.
- Reef
- Wall
- Cave & cavern
- Night
- Groupers
- Barracuda
Best dive sites in Datça & the Knidos Peninsula
- 1
Seven Pinnacles
Sunken reef beyond a Posidonia field, starting at about 22 m and descending to 38 m.
- 2
Armutlu Burnu
Headland with crevices full of shrimp, crawfish, octopuses and moray eels, dived by day and night.
- 3
Üç Taş (Karataş)
Wall that starts at 3 m and keeps going to 55 m.
- 4
Atabol Beacon
Deeper site with clear water and rich fauna, dived in challenging conditions.
- 5
Dick’s Rock
A cluster of granite boulders from 13 m down to 35 m, with a few old amphorae and anchors.
Site guides
Reef
Very old amphorae at 30 m below a crevice-cut headland
Reef
Two reef heads under a light buoy, half a mile off the mainland
Reef
Granite boulders scattered with old amphorae and anchors
Reef
Large dusky and golden groupers with barracuda circling overhead
How to get to Datça & the Knidos Peninsula
Flights from most European cities reach Dalaman, with transfers on to Bozburun or Marmaris where the gulets start. Datça town is 70 km west of Marmaris on the D400, and ferries cross from Bodrum two or three times daily in June to August.
Questions divers ask
Can divers explore Datça's sites independently?+
No. Diving at these sites is done only through authorised dive centres and in line with the site rules.
Are any Datça dive sites protected?+
Yes. Fishing of any kind is banned at six dive points: Armutlu Burnu, Gök Liman (Akvaryum), Çeti Suyu, the Karataş (Üç Taş) reef, Uzunca Ada and Sandal Taş.
Do boats have to keep clear of divers?+
Yes. Motor craft and water sports are banned within 100 m of an area marked with the diving flag (the Alpha flag).
Is there wreck diving at Datça?+
Very little. The coast is known for reef, wall and cave diving, and the only wreck on the list of 40 named sites is an artificial one at Çeti Suyu.
Sources
- Turkish delight: liveaboard cruise to Datca — Divernet
- Datça Peninsula — Advenway
- Datça Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Datça — Wikivoyage
- Datça Dalış Turu — TatilEksper
- Datça, Dalış Turizmine Açılıyor — Son Dakika
- Uçanbalık Dalış Merkezi — Uçanbalık
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