Apokoronas Diving Park FAQ
Answers to the most common questions about the Apokoronas Diving Park at Ombros Gialos: location, opening timeline, the Folegandros and Nestor wrecks, certification requirements, and joining the waitlist with Kefi Divers.
The Apokoronas Diving Park
Location
Off Ombros Gialos on the Apokoronas coast, just east of Almyrida and a short boat ride from our dive centre.
Opening
Expected to open for the start of summer 2027, subject to the required approval.
Wrecks
Two vessels are already in place: the Tugboat Nestor and Folegandros, both at a maximum depth of approximately 19 m.
Marine Life
Artificial reefs attract octopus, moray eels, nudibranchs, wrasse, and pelagics such as amberjack and dentex.
What is the Apokoronas Diving Park?
The Apokoronas Diving Park is a protected underwater park at Ombros Gialos on the Apokoronas coast of Chania, Crete. Also known as the Ombros Gialos Diving Park, it covers approximately 60,000 m² (6 hectares) and contains two wrecks and an artificial habitat system.
Where is the Apokoronas Diving Park?
It is at Ombros Gialos in Apokoronas, just east of Almyrida in Chania, Crete. Kefi Divers is based nearby in Almyrida.
Is the Apokoronas Diving Park open yet?
No. The wrecks and main artificial habitat structures are in place, but the park is not yet open for recreational diving.
When is the Diving Park expected to open?
It is expected to open for the start of summer 2027, subject to the required approval. This timing is not guaranteed.
Can I dive the park now?
No. Recreational diving in the park is not currently available or bookable. You can register your interest with Kefi Divers for contact after the official opening.
What wrecks are in the park?
The two wrecks are R/K Nestor, a tugboat scuttled in April 2025, and Folegandros, a approximately 42-metre former Hellenic Navy landing craft scuttled on 10 June 2026.
How deep are the wrecks?
R/K Nestor and Folegandros each reach a maximum depth of approximately 19 m. The park’s wider bathymetric area extends approximately from 8 m to 25 m, but that is not a universal recreational dive-depth range.
What certification will be needed?
At approximately 19 metres maximum depth, the wreck's future dive profiles and certification requirements will depend on official access rules, approved routes and operating conditions. Open Water suitability cannot yet be guaranteed.
Can the park be accessed from shore?
Ombros Gialos has easy physical shore access. That describes access to the coastal area, not easy access to every feature in the park.
Can the wrecks be reached from shore?
Reaching the wrecks from shore requires a swim out. Kefi Divers intends to offer guided boat dives to the wrecks once the park officially opens.
Will Kefi Divers offer Diving Park trips, and how can I register interest?
Kefi Divers plans to offer guided boat trips after the park officially opens. Send us your certification level and travel dates to join the interest list, and we will contact you when recreational diving becomes available.