Mediterranean · Cyprus
Paphos & Coral Bay
A cave roof encrusted with amphorae, ten minutes from Paphos harbour
Paphos, at the southwestern tip of Cyprus, dives short boat runs from its harbour and shore entries north of Coral Bay. The sites are rock, caves and two wrecks: the Amphorae Caves under Moulia Island, the broken freighter Vera K in its crater, the ridges and swim-through of Geronisos Island and the multilevel rock of Manijin. Most dives sit between 5 and 24 m, and the draw is a cave roof set with amphorae.
About diving in Paphos & Coral Bay
Boat diving leaves Paphos harbour after a morning briefing at the dive centre and a short walk to the boat. The run to the Vera K and the Amphorae Caves takes around 10 minutes, and the islands of Geronisos and Manijin about 20, so a two-tank trip is back around midday or early afternoon, with fruit and drinks served on the boat before the return. North of Coral Bay, the Amphitheatre is dived from shore, entering from a small cove and following the bottom down from the shallows.
The seabed is rock cut into gullies, caves, archways and swim-throughs, with some coral on the Amphorae Caves. Moulia Island hides those caves, one of them roofed with amphorae encrusted into the rock. The Vera K, a Lebanese freighter that ran aground in 1972, lies in four sections inside the crater its demolition created, beside a swim-through and a series of gullies. Geronisos is built from three ridges at 12, 18 and 35 m.
Paphos suits newly certified divers: most sites need only Open Water, the depths stay moderate and the boat rides are short. The challenge comes from overheads rather than depth: the long, dark swim-through at Geronisos twists through the rock, and the gullies beside the Vera K are for experienced divers. Divers who prefer shore entries have the Amphitheatre, an easy dive open to all levels.
Best time to dive Paphos & Coral Bay
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
No month stands out as a peak; January to March bring the coldest water, near 16 °C at its lowest, and the sea warms to about 28 °C in August.
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Dive types & marine life
Sea bream, damselfish, wrasse, moray eels and octopus are regular visitors at the Amphorae Caves. The Laboe, a newer artificial reef, has already drawn resident groupers along with barracuda and bream.
- Cave & cavern
- Wreck
- Reef
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
Best dive sites in Paphos & Coral Bay
- 1
Amphorae Caves
Gullies and caves under Moulia Island, one roofed with amphorae, at 5-12 m
- 2
Vera K Wreck
Lebanese freighter blown up in 1974, lying at 11 m with the bridge still fairly intact
- 3
Geronisos Island
A 30 m long swim-through entered from a 12 m ridge and left at 18 m, for confident divers
- 4
Manijin Island
A rock small enough to circle on one multilevel dive, with a drop-off, archway and blowhole at 6-22 m
- 5
Amphitheatre
Shore dive to two natural amphitheatres either side of an 8 m wall, to 14 m and suited to all levels
- 6
Laboe
Former cruise vessel sunk as an artificial reef at 27 m, already holding resident groupers
Site guides
An easy beach entry at a small harbour north of Coral Bay
Two sea-carved amphitheatres joined over the top of a wall
Cave & cavern
A cave roof with amphorae fixed into the rock
A dark, twisting 30 m long swim-through between two ridges
A guide rope and rock steps lead straight onto a shallow wall
Wreck
A freighter blown into four sections, resting in its own blast crater
How to get to Paphos & Coral Bay
Paphos Airport, a small airport served mostly by charter flights, has the 612 and 613 buses into Paphos. Boat dives leave from Paphos harbour, and the Amphitheatre shore dive lies north of Coral Bay.
Photos from Paphos & Coral Bay
Verity Cridland · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Diving in Paphos, Cyprus · Cyprus Diving Adventures on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive Paphos?+
Open Water covers the Amphorae Caves, the Vera K, the Geronisos and Manijin boat trip and the Amphitheatre shore dive. The Laboe artificial reef at 27 m asks for Advanced Open Water.
Is diving in Paphos from shore or by boat?+
Both. The harbour boats reach the Vera K and Amphorae Caves in about 10 minutes and the islands in about 20, while the Amphitheatre north of Coral Bay is a shore dive entered from a small cove.
When is the water warmest in Paphos?+
The sea is warmest in July and August, averaging about 28 °C in August, and coolest from January to March, when it averages around 17 °C.
What are the Amphorae Caves?+
A set of gullies and caves beneath Moulia Island, at 5 to 12 m, where one cave roof is encrusted with amphorae. Octopus live there, and the boat run from Paphos harbour takes about 10 minutes.
Sources
- Cydive – 2 tank Vera-K Wreck & Amphorae Caves — Cydive
- Cydive – Geronisos Island and Manijin Island — Cydive
- Amphitheatre | Coral Bay Divers — Coral Bay Divers
- Amphorae Caves — Cyprus Dive Centers Association
- The Vera K Wreck — Cyprus Dive Centers Association
- Laboe Cruise Vessel — Cyprus Dive Centers Association
- Paphos Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Paphos – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Paphos Diving Sites — Cyprus Dive Centers Association
Photo credits
- Pale limestone rocks and sea stacks rise from a calm, deep blue sea under a clear sky. by Verity Cridland, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
Embed
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