Paros & Naxos · Greece · Reef · Pinnacle
Minoan Reef
Ridge tops at 5 m, a Classical amphora, and amberjack hunting over the reef
Area photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Minoan Reef is a chain of underwater ridges in front of Faraggas beach, 10 minutes by boat from Aliki port. The rock starts 5 m below the surface and runs down past 25 m, though the operator dives it for all levels to a 20 m maximum. It carries nudibranchs, moray eels and octopus, long-spined urchins, a Classical-era amphora, and sometimes schools of barracuda or amberjack hunting over the ridges.
Where it is and how deep
36.9832° N, 25.1570° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Ten minutes from Aliki port, the boat stops in front of Faraggas beach over a series of underwater mountain chains. The ridge tops start 5 m below the surface and the rock reaches more than 25 m, but the operator runs the site for all levels with 20 m as the maximum, so the dive keeps to the upper part of the ridges. Descend onto the top of the reef and follow the guide along the chain.
The reef holds a big variety of life: nudibranchs on the rock, moray eels and octopus in the holes, and long-spined urchins (Centrostephanus longispinus), often seen here. Look for the amphora from the Classical era that lies on the site. Now and then schools of barracuda or amberjack come through hunting over the ridges, so glance into the open water as you move along the chain, not only at the rock.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Paros & Naxos: The Naxos centre opens mid-April to early November. The meltemi blows mid-May to mid-September, most constant in July and August, when boats keep to moorings sheltered from the north wind.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Minoan Reef?+
The ridges start 5 m below the surface and reach more than 25 m; the operator lists a 20 m maximum and the site for all levels.
What can you see at Minoan Reef?+
Nudibranchs, moray eels, octopus, long-spined urchins, a Classical-era amphora, and sometimes schools of barracuda or amberjack hunting.
Sources
- Minoan Reef — Scubago
- Les meilleurs sites de plongée de Paros — Cycladic Diving
More dive sites in Paros & Naxos
Wreck
A 1981 cargo wreck whose crane still breaks the surface; the bow section rests at 24 m
Pinnacle
A single rock out of a Posidonia meadow at 25 m, a hundred metres from Tripiti
A collapsed-cavern arch, then a steep wall with a soft-coral overhang from 8 m
Wall
Amphorae from a pirate-era wooden wreck below a current-free wall
Reef
A 6 m reef at the end of a sandy shore entry, minutes from Aliki village
Surface inside the cavern beneath live stalactites, lit by blue light from below
Wall
The area's big fish: barracuda and amberjack schools off a wall from 10 to 40 m
Reef
An 8 to 12 m plateau where big barracuda schools pass over nudibranch-rich rock
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