Scuba Diving in Cyprus
Cyprus is often referred to as the ‘Jewel of the Mediterranean’ and scuba diving in Cyprus is truly unique – unlike any other destination in Europe.
Dive sites around the island consist of both shore and boat dives. Many sites are suitable for open water divers, as well as more experienced divers too. The local dive sites offer a superb variety of scenic reef dives, stunning wall dives, unique cavern dives and of course, wonderful wreck dives. Cyprus even has the Zenobia – one of the top 5 wrecks in the world! This wreck is truly breath-taking and is guaranteed to make you smile.
Welcome to Cyprus, a European country rich in history, culture and food, as well as a paradise for divers and snorkellers!
5 Reasons to Choose Cyprus as your Diving Destination
- Cyprus offers easy access from the UK with a flight time less than 5 hours. Direct flights operate from most UK airports throughout the year and are relatively inexpensive compared to many other places (especially outside of school holidays).
- Cyprus offers one of the best climates in the Mediterranean. On average Cyprus has over 330 days of sunshine per a year!
- Comfortable water temperatures throughout the year – when the temperatures are close to freezing in the UK, Cyprus still provides relatively comfortable waters. The crystal clear waters of Cyprus are some of the warmest in the world.
- The waters around Cyprus are not particularly tidal, currents tend to be mild and water movement minimal. This makes Cyprus an ideal destination for all levels of divers and an ideal location for new divers to gain experience and enjoy the underwater world.
- There’s plenty to do besides diving, which makes it a popular choice for families, diving and non-diving couples.
Dive Sites in Cyprus
There’s a host of amazing dive sites in Cyprus, this is just a few of the popular ones that we dive:
- Green Bay: one of the most well known dive sites in Cyprus and great for beginners and check dives, due to the shallow, easy entry points and sheltered position. Green Bay is known locally as the aquarium and features ‘fish rock’ and various statues. It’s possible to see turtles here along with a wide variety of marine life
- Blue Hole: a popular scenic reef dive with stunning rock formations, and beautiful soft finger corals, as well as some unique caverns. Depth is around 18m.
- De Costa Bay: a sensational scenic dive, there are many underwater islands and overhangs to explore. Turtles and sea horses are frequently seen at De Costa Bay making this an ideal site for all level of divers.
- Cyclops Bay: a wonderful dive with stunning underwater topography The dive consists of stunning shear walls, impressive pinnacles and numerous overhangs. Depth is 30m with shallower dives possible here too.
- Moray Reef: a rocky plateau on a sandy seabed. The reef’s unique gullies and overhangs make it an ideal home to all types of marine life. In addition to exploring the reef there are also large sea grass out crops providing the ideal habitat for turtles. Depth is around 16m.
- The Chapel offers some of the most spectacular rock formations and visibility in the world! The underwater topography of this dive site is
truly unique. The large sheer rock formations and many overhangs make the Chapel a versatile and exciting dive site. Depth is around 25m. - Caves & Tunnels: one of the most unique dive sites in the world and is a must when visiting Cyprus. During the dive you will swim through multiple
natural tunnels and caverns before exiting the water through what is referred to locally as the blow hole. The dive is suitable for most levels of diving (note access is via a vertical ladder!) - The Nemesis: one of the best artificial wrecks in Europe! She was a decommissioned fishing trawler purposely sunk in 2012. She lies upright on the seabed with a maximum depth of 24m. The wreck is completely intact and has most of its original features.
- The Liberty & The Cross: Liberty was the first artificial wreck in Cyprus! She was a decommissioned Russian cargo ship purposely sunk in May 2009. The wreck lies upright on the seabed. With many original features to be seen the Liberty is a great wreck for all levels of divers.
- MUSAN: Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa
You can also read more about these and other sites in Cyprus in this article by Scuba Diver Magazine.
The Zenobia
The ‘Zen’ is a world renowned wreck and is rated as one of the top 5 in the world!
This huge ferry sunk in June 1980 due to repeated computer malfunctions that controlled the ballast system on board this monstrous ship. She eventually sank on her maiden voyage at around 02:30 on the 7th of June. The Zenobia now lies on her port side on the seabed, just 1,500 metres from Larnaca Harbour.
Whether you are a seasoned wreck diver or exploring the Zen for the first time, this epic wreck will be sure to leave you wanting more! The depth is 42m to the bottom, with exciting deep penetration opportunities for experienced technical divers. For recreational divers, there are shallower dives possible here, with varying depths and plenty to see from the outside.
Best of Both Worlds: Learn with us in the UK and Dive with Us in Cyprus!
Through our partnerships in Cyprus, we are delighted to be able to offer something very exciting and unique to the UK market.
We now offer Open Water Diver training programmes that allow you to complete all the academics and pool training in the UK and finish the programme in the comparatively warmer and clearer waters of Cyprus.
This provides the following benefits to you:
- Take your time to learn at a more relaxed pace, building comfort through repetition with us in the pool – not a rushed, fast-track course crammed into your summer holiday.
- Avoid cold and murky waters in the UK – complete all your open water dives in crystal clear waters, with additional confined water time if needed, to help build comfort and confidence.
- Travel light and avoid having to carry equipment – all dive gear will be provided by our local partners, who like us, use top-quality, well-maintained equipment (including a dedicated range for ladies and children).
- Continue with fun diving post certification – you have the option to continue diving immediately after your certification, which is something that divers who qualify over a weekend in the UK, rarely do. This is really where the fun begins and is the best time to start building more experience. You can really relax and enjoy the diving – you’ll be surprised how much more you see, without any skills to worry about!
- Bring your family along for a combined diving and family holiday… there’s so much for non-diving family members to enjoy.
- The best bit – believe it or not, cost wise, it is often not much more expensive that doing the full course in the UK!
If you’re looking to learn to scuba dive, could this be the right option for you? Feel free to contact us to have an informal conversation and we’ll be happy to discuss your options and answer any questions.
Additional Training Options
We can offer all levels of training and various experiences, from beginner to professional and recreational to technical, either directly with us or through our partners based in Cyprus. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and we’ll see how we can best help you.
Club Dive Trips
From 2024, we will also be offering club diving trips to the fantastic island of Cyprus. Club members will get priority booking and preferential rates. Watch this space for more information!
Location
Our preferred location base for diving and training is within the Pernera / Protaras / Ayia Napa vicinity. The waters are generally a little warmer and there are better diving sites on the south-eastern side of the island. There’s many local restaurants and supermarkets close to all the accommodation we recommend. You’ll find no shortage of other activities too, from various water sports, adventure buggies, island boat tours, kids activities and beach front massages, so there’s something for everyone.
Accommodation Options
We understand everyone has different needs, expectations and budgets. Therefore, we offer our clients and club members various options when it comes to accommodation. Typically our training and club packages are based on economy choices, with the option to upgrade to higher-end facilities should you wish to do so. All the accommodation we offer has been personally vetted by us and/or our local partners in Cyprus.
Flights
Larnaca is the preferred airport for all our trips and the diving destinations mentioned in this article. Easyjet run daily flights from Gatwick and twice-weekly flights from Luton to Larnaca. Whizzair also have regular flights out of Luton at extremely affordable prices. Other airlines from Luton include Jet2 and Tui. British Airways also run flights from Heathrow.
It’s possible to get flights into Paphos but transfer times are considerably longer and will cost more.
Best Time of Year to Visit
The peak season runs from June – September but either side of this can still provide some fantastic diving opportunities, while costs are typically much lower. Our preferred timing for our training and club trips are April – May and October – November. This provides great diving, very comfortable weather and affordable prices. Easter and Half Term breaks often see an spike in costs, especially for flights.
What are you waiting for – let’s go to Cyprus!
Want to find out more about our training and club trips to Cyprus? Please get in touch with us to find out more.
