Lesbos · Greece · Cave & cavern · Reef
Fara
A round cave chamber lined with red, yellow and orange sponges
Fara is an underwater cave on the south-west side of a rock island near the Fara and Tarti beaches in southern Lesbos. A narrow entrance in a vertical wall leads into a round chamber whose walls are coated in red, yellow and orange sponges, and the dive finishes with a lap of the islet among breams, groupers and moray eels.
Also known as Fara cave, Fara Tarti.
Where it is and how deep
38.9697° N, 26.4774° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat anchors at one of 2 points, east or west depending on the wind, both above a shallow plateau that eases the descent. The cave opens at 18 m as a relatively narrow recess in the vertical wall and widens inside.
After 20-25 m of penetration it ends in an almost round room 15-20 m across, between 12 and 18 m deep. Little daylight reaches it, so torches are needed; once eyes adjust, the walls show sponges, bryozoans, ascidians and small soft corals.
The exit starts at 100 bar at the latest, and the dive carries on anticlockwise around the islet, where saddled and white sea bream, groupers, bogues, parrotfish, damselfish and moray eels live. Depths around the islet run from 5 to 30 m.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Lesbos: Boats run from April or May to October, while the sea warms from about 15 °C (59 °F) in April to 25 °C (77 °F) in August.
Know before you go
- The cave has a narrow entrance and an overhead chamber with little daylight; artificial lighting is necessary inside.
Dive videos
Diving in Lesbos with Lesvos Scuba Oceanic Centre · Ron Krotwaar on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Fara cave dive need?+
At least Open Water Diver level. The cave entrance sits at 18 m and its chamber stays between 12 and 18 m, though torches are needed inside.
Sources
- Fara (Tarti) — Dive in our Islands
More dive sites in Lesbos
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Similar dives elsewhere
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