A friendly island known for its incredible history and amazing legends, as well as for its loggerhead turtle sanctuary, Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands, boasting a land mass of 781 square kilometers. The landscape here is rugged and rocky, and there are some amazing caves to explore topside, which belie just a little of what you'll find underwater. With amazing caves and magnificent marine life, this beautiful island is one you may never want to leave. Here are just seven of the many dive sites available for exploration.
Secret of Venus
Once called Scott's Fault, this incredible canyon is long and narrow, with incredible walls rising up on both sides and only a narrow shaft of light penetrating from the top. While maximum depth here is just thirty meters, you might feel as though you are much further beneath the surface as you make your way from one end of the fault to the next; at the end, you'll see the beautiful Venus coral garden.
Temple
A massive cave with two separate entrances including a small entryway in the cliffside, and a larger entrance point in the roof, the Temple features stunning walls covered in coral and sponges, and while you'll need your light to see the beautiful colors, you'll of course want to shut it off to enjoy the brilliant shaft of light that comes in through the ceiling. Often combined with two other sites, The Little Church and The Cliff, The Temple is one site not to miss. Maximum depth here is 26 meters.
Cathedral
An open air cave with an underwater entrance just 3 meters beneath the surface, the Cathedral features several different chambers with stalactites hanging from their ceilings, and even two underground beaches! You'll find a colony of bats here as well as a massive flock of swallows, and once you make your way back out through to the sea, you'll find you can dive to a maximum depth of 20 meters along the adjoining wall.
Barge
Lost during a storm during the winter of 2008, the barge is already being colonized by sponges, encrusting algae, and coral. Home to numerous fish, crustacean, and invertebrate species, this wreck is 50 meters long and lies on its side. Accessible at depths between 5 and 20 meters, the Barge wreck is ideal for photography and is great for all divers to explore.
Cliff
Offering the opportunity for a rare glimpse of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, and home to lots of schooling fish, big groupers, and very cranky lobsters, the Cliff starts at a depth of about 10 meters, eventually meeting up with the ocean floor at a depth of 40 meters. An outstanding site where colorful life abounds, the Cliff is suitable for all divers, with those less experienced remaining up on top of the reef, and those with more experience heading down along the wall.
Emblissi
An outstanding site for all divers, Emblissi offers maximum depth at just 15 meters, and is home to a thriving community of fish and endangered bivalves called Pinna Nobilis. With Poseidon sea grass, ancient amphorae, and marine life in abundance, this site is nothing short of magical.
Catacombs
Dark and mysterious, this series of underwater caves is suitable only for certified cave divers. While you'll descend only to a maximum depth of 21 meters here, the Catacombs are guaranteed to give you chills, no matter how many caves and caverns you have explored in the past.
Dive operators in Kefalonia are well equipped and offer trips to these sites, as well as nearby wrecks including the HMS Perseus; topside, you'll find many wonderful historic sites and cultural attractions to keep you occupied between dives. Last, but certainly not least, you're sure to enjoy the excellent accommodations and dining Kefalonia offers. While you'll probably have to go home at some point, you might never want to leave.