Scuba Diving the Caves and Wrecks of Paxos

Sarah Callan

9/26/20244 min read

Many visits to Paxos include a boat trip along the west coast to explore the rugged cliffs and caves that are found there. Have you ever wondered what those caves look like from below and what you can see inside? To scuba dive in Paxos reveals an enticing new world beneath the surface. Paxos has some amazing caves to explore, and many divers visit them year after year. Below are just a few of the highlights. Read along to find the best caves and wrecks for scuba diving on Paxos.

Cathedral Cave

Cathedral Cave is named for its large size and appearance. There is no sunlight inside this cave, but the beam from your torch will reveal a ceiling decorated with yellow cup corals along with starfish, sea squirts, and shrimps living inside the cave. You might also meet other cave dwellers like slipper lobsters or hermit crabs. As you ascend inside the cave you encounter a halocline, where sweet water from the cliffs above meets salty sea water. This creates a misty effect in the water. The excellent visibility returns as you swim up towards the rear of the cave where it is possible to surface inside the cave and shine your torch into the rock above before returning below the water to finish your dive. As you make your return, there is a ledge facing the cave entrance where you can stop, turn off your torch, and appreciate the incredible light from the entrance, beyond the columns and beams in the ceiling. You exit the cave through a ‘window’ in the rock which opens out to reveal more yellow cup corals just above your head.

Petritis Cave

Petriti cave is a more advanced dive with a maximum depth of around 30m, although this large cave goes much deeper. One of the most striking features of this cave is the darkness as you go further inside. The vastness of this cave is breathtaking. Here you are likely to see many shrimps running up the walls and, often, several forkbeard fish (with distinctive barbels on their chins). You can exit this cave via a ‘chimney’ where you may see a few starfish clinging to the walls, before exiting into the blue at approximately 17 metres. As you ascend from this dive you will pass through a pretty arch and may visit some smaller, shallower caves. Before you reach the boat there are some amazing, petrified rock formations one of which resembles a thumb or big toe.

Sunshine Cave

As you enter Sunshine Cave (with a maximum depth of about 20m) you are captivated by the shaft of sunlight that falls into the cave from a hole in the ceiling above. Many fish visit or live in the cave their silhouettes backlit by the sun. Shoals of bream are often seen at the cave entrance. You can also expect to see scorpionfish, tubeworms, and, if lucky, an octopus or lobster. The cave narrows as you venture towards the back. Here, the floor rises and there is an interesting hole that can be navigated.

If caves are not your thing, Paxos has some beautiful rocky reefs where you will find a variety of fish as well as moray eels, large Triton sea snails, octopus, nudibranchs, and groupers

The Old Father Wreck

Paxos also has a few wrecks to explore. The Old Father sank in bad weather in 1992 while carrying a cargo of metal tubes, which are now scattered across the seabed. You approach the wreck through a beautiful rocky underwater arch with an abundance of sea life, including many scorpionfish. The part of the wreck that you will explore lies at approximately 30m. Unfortunately, a significant part of the ship broke away in a storm a few years ago and is now out of reach for most recreational divers, at 70m. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to see here as the wreck and tubes provide home and shelter to many marine species including moray eels, tubes worms, shoals of fish and, more recently, several lionfish. The visibility at this dive site is usually excellent, in the region of 20-30m.

WWII Fighter Plane Wreck

At a depth of just over 30m lies the remains of an Italian WWII fighter plane. Although much of the wreckage has been eroded over the years, there are still parts that are worth exploring, including an engine, propeller blade and machine gun. It also plays home to many marine animals (including shoals of goldfish like Cardinalfish), and you might be fortunate to see a moray eel staring back at you from inside the engine.

"Modern" Wreck

For less experienced divers there is a small boat wreck that is worth exploring. This mysterious ship sank in bad weather in 2022 with no crew onboard and lies at a maximum depth of 17m. You can swim around the outside of the boat and across the deck. It can provide some fun photo opportunities. Despite only being underwater for 2 years it has attracted many fish, including lionfish, and you may well find an octopus or two living around the periphery.

If you are a qualified diver who would like to experience these dives, or you would like to try scuba diving so that you too can explore the underwater world around Paxos, contact Angelos at Paxos Oasi Sub in Lakka for further information www.paxosoasisub.com