Known to the classical world as Thera or Thira, Santorini is located about 200 kilometers from the Greek mainland, in the southern Aegean Sea. Formed of an ancient volcano and featuring a massive lagoon bounded on three sides by soaring 300 meter high cliffs, the island's dive sites are mostly positioned right next to a 400 meter drop off, so good buoyancy control is a priority if you plan to explore any of the walls or pinnacles you'll find here. Let’s take a look at seven of the top dive sites Santorini has to offer!
The Caves
Featuring maximum depth at only 10 meters, The Caves are volcanic in origin, featuring enormous boulders and swim throughs, as well as spectacular underwater canyons and caverns. Situated on the south coast of Santorini, this site is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. While the geologic features are definitely the star of the show here, the marine life is great as well - look for moray eels, octopus, and lots of shimmering little glassfish.
Adiavatous Reef
Located inside the rim of the caldera, near the volcano, Adiavatous is one of the most beautiful reefs around Santorini. Legend says that this might even be the site of the lost city of Atlantis, and whether that is true or not, the site is definitely worth a visit. Home to a wealth of crustaceans and invertebrates, as well as to plenty of fish including wrasse, anthias, groupers, and barracuda; the site is a favorite with local divers.
Volcano
A spectacular site, not only for its stunning volcanic rock formations that eventually drop away to meet the seabed 70 meters below, but for the wreck of a tour boat that lies at an easily accessible depth of only 18 meters, Volcano is home to a wealth of marine life. Here, you'll find beautiful corals and sponges acting as a backdrop for an abundance of fish including colorful wrasse and anthias, and you'll encounter some large groupers if you are lucky.
White Island
A small uninhabited island on the western edge of the caldera, White Island offers some outstanding wall dives. Here, the volcanic rocks are covered in colorful sponge and coral growth, and there are plenty of crabs, shrimp, and nudibranchs, not to mention clouds of lively reef fish and a few larger barracuda and groupers in residence. Watch for moray eels and octopus as you explore.
Oia and Thirassia
Featuring a beautiful pinnacle and stunning walls as well as exceptionally clear water, Oia and Thirassia is a pair of dive sites where the inner reefs are teeming with life and where larger pelagics can sometimes be spotted. Keep an eye out for snapper and grouper, as well as the occasional pack of hunting barracudas.
Perissa and Kamari Rock
Another pair of dive sites with beautifully clear water and astonishing black sands, Perissa and Kamari Rock feature enormous volcanic rock formations that are much like an underwater labyrinth. Colorful sponges and corals coat many of these rocks, and the hiding places they provide serve as shelter for octopus, moray eels, and plenty of crustaceans. Colorful anthia and wrasse are abundant here, as are glassfish, and on occasion, barracuda come into the area to hunt.
House Reef
A very shallow, clear site that is home to nudibranchs and lots of other invertebrates, as well as hermit crabs and other crustaceans, the House Reef is an excellent spot to watch sleek barracuda hunting from the schools of fish that are everywhere you look. Local dive operators protect the site from fishermen, so it is even more abundant than other Santorini dive sites. Whether you visit during daylight hours or come after the sun goes down, you'll be spellbound.
Local dive operators are well-equipped and offer daily trips to these and a number of other dive sites, and topside, you'll find everything from prehistoric sites to wineries. With fantastic accommodations and outstanding cuisine, Santorini is a marvelous place to relax.