Scuba diving is among the most popular summer activities in our country, Greece.
Down there, there is a very different world waiting to be explored! In recent years, more and more scuba diving centers emerge as many visitors are not content with exploring above the sea but seek to discover all the richness that lies beneath it.
The seabed of the Sporades hides an extraordinary beauty such as natural reefs, uninhabited rocky islets, underwater caves and remarkable ancient shipwrecks. Skopelos island, the verdant island of the Northern Sporades, is famous for its magnificent and crystal waters. There are many people who combine their summer holidays with the exploration of the island’s rich marine life!
Scuba Diving in Skopelos – National Marine Park of Alonnisos island
Here, one can also visit the National Marine Park of Alonissos in the Northern Sporades, the first marine park in Greece and the largest protected marine area in Europe. It was established by Presidential Decree on May 16th, 1992 and occupies an area of about 2.260 sq. kilometers. The national park belongs to the Natura 2000 range and many of its zones are free for scuba diving, swimming, wildlife observation as well as amateur photographing. In the National Marine Park of Alonissos in the Northern Sporades, there is a unique combination of terrestrial and marine ranges with hundreds of plant and animal species as well as remarkable ancient and historical monuments.
Scuba Diving in Skopelos – Underwater Museum in Skopelos island
This pristine area with the primitive beauty of the national park of the Northern Sporades hosts the first Underwater Archeological Museum of Greece. In its variegated waters is the shipwreck of Peristera isle, the oldest shipwreck to visit in the world. The ancient ship sank between 425 and 415 B.C. and has a 30 m. length and 10 m. width. It used to transport wine cargo from wine-producing regions of Northern Greece, such as Mendi in Chalkidiki and the Sporades islands, Skopelos and Alonissos. One can visit the shipwreck with scuba diving equipment and as long as they are second-level certified divers.
In the Sporades islands and more specifically in Skopelos and Alonissos islands, there is one of the best scuba diving centers, certified by the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). “Spyrou Skopelos Experience” collaborates with the Scuba Diving Center of Skopelos, offering to its guests the opportunity to attempt their first dives and discover the enchanting submarine world of Skopelos and the Sporades generally. By a stroke of luck, you may have the chance to meet the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus Monachus as the largest population of this species lives and breeds in this area.