Author: Christos

Set Sail in Cyprus!

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The endless blue seas of Cyprus offer the perfect setting for enjoying sailing and yachting all year round, thanks to their favourable temperatures and flat waters, and a lack of pollutants. Combined with ideal wind conditions, and a stunning, rugged coastline, these factors attract both enthusiasts and professionals from all over the world.

A variety of important races and regattas also take place throughout the year for the sport of sailing, whilst leisure yachters can find community and facilities at two marinas, five ports and numerous bays.

All the relevant information for sailing on the island, along with the calendar of events, and important guidelines can be found on the website of the Cyprus Sailing Federation (CYSAF).

As the national governing body for the sport of sailing in Cyprus, CYSAF is a member of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), and the European Sailing Federation (EUROSAF). It is the official body for the promotion of sailing in Cyprus, as well as for representing Cypriot sailing at an international level. The organization also organises championships, races and other sporting events on a Cypriot, regional or international level, and maintains a fleet of dinghies, including Women’s/ Men’s RS:X, Laser Standard, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, Optimist, 470, Finn and Open Sea Vessels.

For more details, contact:

Cyprus Sailing Federation (CYSAF), Lemesos (Limassol)
Amathountos 21
4532 Agios Tychonas
Lemesos
Cyprus
Tel: (+357) 25 320 559
Fax: (+357) 25 328 953
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cysaf.org.cy

The Canyon

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Located under the cliffs on the south side of Cape Gkreko, this site requires a decent level of fitness to meet its challenging entry point but rewards the more experienced diver with its variety of depths and bottom contours.
Characterised by a series of fascinating rock formations – such as walls and canyons – the site is ideal for technical and sidemount diving training.

The marine life is less abundant here than at other sites, but divers will still spot damselfish, grouper, moray eels, octopi and stingrays, with most seen above 20 metres, enchanting all level of diver.
Deep divers can experience a ‘free-falling’ sensation from 10 metres down to a sunken jet ski that lays at 38 metres and offers a popular photo opportunity.

Location:Cape Gkreko – Protaras, Ammochostos region
Coordinates:34° 57’40.41″N 34° 3’51.72″E
Type of Dive Site:Sandy Bottom / Drop-off (cliff)
Depth:20 metres
Visibility:20+ metres
Access:Shore (difficult) / By boat
Qualification Required:Open Water / Boat Diver
Dive Category:Recreational Diving

Canyon (dive_route) by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Canyon Dive Route click here

Green Bay

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This picturesque bay is part of the Cape Gkreko network of dive sites, where friendly marine life flourishes in the crystal-clear waters and among the colourful pebbles.

As this is a shore dive with walk in entry – and an absence of currents or waves – it is considered to be the easiest dive sites in the region and is approved by major dive associations as a confined water training area, making it the perfect spot for beginners and introductory dives.
The site also introduces the marine life of the area in a delightful way at the ‘Fish Rock’ feeding station where large schools of seabream are a common feature and turtle sightings are frequent. Other species at the site include cornetfish, cuttlefish, octopi, ornate wrasse, parrotfish, pipefish, rainbow wrasse and starfish.

Divers can also enjoy a cultural element to this easy dive thanks to the artificial statues (replicas of Ancient Greek monuments), submerged at a depth of 10 metres, whilst there are fragments of ancient amphorae to be discovered on the seabed.

Location: Cape Gkreko – Protaras, Ammochostos
GPS Coordinates: 35° 0’1.13″N 34° 4’4.51″E
Type of Dive Site: Shore Dive
Depth: 11 metres
Visibility: 20 metres
Access:Shore (walk in)
Qualification Required: Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational Diving

Green Bay by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Statue 1 click here
For the Statue 2 click here
For the Statue 3 click here
For the Amphorae click here

Nemesis Shipwreck

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The Nemesis III wreck was sunk in the Protaras Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2013 to create an artificial reef, joining the Liberty wreck that was sunk in 2009.

The former fishing vessel was built in France in 1956. She now lies upright in the MPA, just 90 metres away from the Liberty. As such, the site is particularly good for scooter diving between the two wrecks, passing the submerged two-metre cross placed there by famous Russian explorer Feodor Konyukhov, which was added to with a statue of the Mother of God by a Russian diving centre.
Divers can enter the wreck and swim through its hull and bridge; explore the small cabin with its railed veranda, as well as the engines and corridor where all manner of marine life thrives. The safe swim throughs make the Nemesis suitable for basic wreck diving. The site is also ideal for training for the Advanced Open Water qualification.
The amazing array of marine life at the site includes ascidian, grouper, lionfish, moray eels, sea slugs, squid, tube worms and tuna. Large numbers of amberjacks pass through seasonally.

Location: Protaras,Ammochostos
GPS Coordinates: 35° 3’3.72″N 34° 2’11.05″E
Type of Dive Site: Wreck (also suitable for scooter diving)
Depth: 26 metres
Visibility: 20+metres
Dimensions: 25 metres long / 6 metres wide
Access: By boat
Qualification Required:  Advanced Open Water / Boat Diver
Dive Category: Recreational Diving

 

Nemesis Shipwreck by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Nemesis diving route click here

Kyrenia Shipwreck

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Location: Agia Napa

Type of dive site: Artificial reef

Depth: 23 metres

Visibility:  25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water

Features: This old Greek navy boat has become home to a variety of marine life, including moray eels and groupers, which can be spotted in abundance.

Interesting Facts: This old war ship was donated by the Cyprus Ministry of Defence to be sunk in March 2015 for the purposes of creating an artificial reef, with the aim of encouraging the increase of marine life to the area.

Kyrenia ship dimensions:

Lenght: 29 metres

Width: 5 metres

Depth: 2.54 metres

 

 

Kyrenia Shipwreck by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Kyrenia Shipwreck diving route click here

Chapel

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The charming, little, white washed Agioi Anargyroi chapel that sits above this dive site gives it its name, with steps on the water’s edge leading down to the entry point where a sudden drop allows divers to descend fairly quickly.

Divers are then rewarded with the sight of beautiful, changing underwater scenery that unfolds with overhangs and ledges; cliff faces with fossils; rocks with sponges and encrusted, shattered amphorae on the seabed.

The highly popular and picturesque dive at Cape Gkreko is ideal for all levels of diver, and for navigation, deep dives and night dives – where octopi and eel hunt for their food in the darker hours. An array of other sea creatures live among the rocks and meadows of Posidonia seagrass, including bream, grouper, lionfish, moray eels, nudibranch and sea urchins.

Location:Cape Gkreko – Protaras, Ammochostos
GPS Coordinates: 34° 58’33.88″N 34° 4’33.98″E
Type of Site:Rocky, Sandy, Drop Off (cliff)
Depth:40 metres
Visibility:20+ metres
Access:Easy access up to the entry point (steps), but difficult entryand exit point.
Qualification Required:Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational and Technical Diving

Laboe Shipwreck

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Location: Geroskipou, Pafos (Paphos) region

Type of dive site: Artificial reef

Depth:  27 metres

Visibility: 20 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water (AOW)

Features: Although still relatively new, the artificial reef has already attracted some resident groupers and other varied marine life, including barracudas and bream.

Interesting Facts: Built in Germany in 1940 as a cruise ship, the Laboe was brought to Cyprus in 2006 and donated to the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Cyprus Dive Centres Association. It was sunk as an artificial reef with the aim of encouraging the increase of marine life to the area.

 

Laboe (diving_routes) by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Laboe Diving Route click here

Amphora Cave

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This marvel of nature created by the sea currents of two thousand years is a network of rock formations given its name from the amphorae-encrusted ceiling of one of the caves.

In particular, beginner divers – or the more timid – will enjoy the mostly sandy, flat surface of the site that offers an experience of cave with reef and offers plenty of natural light.

And when evening sets, the mood of the topography changes, with numbers of shrimps, lobsters, black sea cucumbers and cuttlefish venturing out, making the site perfect for night diving too.

At the deepest part of the dive are meadows of Posidonia seagrass where pearly razorfish in iridescent gold and red tones make their home, and sometimes stingray, whilst scorpionfish hide among the seaweed.
Other marine life to spot includes bream, damselfish, hermit crabs, moray eels, octopi and wrasse.

Location: Pafos
GPS Coordinates: 34°43’21.6″N 32°26’13.0″E
Type of dive site: Rocky and Sandy Bottom
Depth: 14 metres
Visibility: 20+ metres
Access: By boat
Qualification Required:Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational Diving

Vera K Shipwreck

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Location: Pafos (Paphos) Harbour

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 11 metres

Visibility: 25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open Water (OW)

Features: Two large archways and narrow tunnels are suitable for experienced divers to explore with plenty of marine life to observe, including grouper.

Interesting Facts: This Lebanese freighter ran aground in shallow water in 1972 and was initially used as target practice by the army. It was later declared a hazard to other ships and blown up in 1974. It now rests in a crater created by the explosion. It is in four main sections with the bridge still fairly intact.

Vera K Dive Site by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

White Star Shipwreck

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Location: Pafos (Paphos) Harbour

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 14-18 metres

Visibility: 20 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open water (OW)

Features: The ample loading bays of this site are home to groupers, breams and other marine life.

Interesting Facts: This former Russian fishing vessel (built in 1954) sank at sea, close to Pafos Harbour in 2006 as she was being towed to Lemesos to be completely scrapped.