Cyprus – Paphos & Limassol

The south-west of the Republic of Cyprus offers easy, warm-water diving on rocky reefs, caves and wrecks. Off Paphos, boats reach the Achilleas wreck (sunk 1975), the Vera K freighter lying in the crater of its 1974 demolition and the Amphorae Caves, while shore divers use Amphitheatre, Cynthiana and Airport Reef. West of Paphos the Edro III cargo ship, wrecked in 2011, sits on the rocks at the Sea Caves of Peyia, and the Manijin islet nearby has a collapsed-roof bowl and a blowhole. Further north the Akamas peninsula and Latchi give the Blue Lagoon, Kakoskali reef and the walls of Photiades and Mazaki island. East of Paphos the Limassol coast has the Lady Thetis and Costandis wrecks, sunk in February 2014 as an artificial reef, the Amathunta concrete pyramids and, near Pissouri, the deep wall and caves of Jubilee Shoals. The Zenobia and the other Larnaca wrecks, and the sites of the Turkish-occupied north, are not part of this region.

Facts

Best season: Diving is possible all year. The sea is above 20 C from May to November and peaks at about 27 C in August; winter water is 17–18 C and needs a thicker suit. Dive centres run trips year-round, with a lighter schedule in winter
Water and visibility: The Cyprus Dive Centres Association lists about 25 m visibility at most Paphos and Limassol sites; Visit Cyprus gives 20+ m. Sites are mostly rock and sand with seagrass
Getting there: Paphos airport (PFO) is next to Airport Reef; Larnaca (LCA) is the other main airport. Most Paphos boat dives leave from Paphos harbour; Latchi is the base for Akamas and the Blue Lagoon (over an hour by road from Paphos)
Diving rules: A 2026 study for the Cypriot deputy ministry says Cyprus has no comprehensive legal framework for dive sites, dive centres and diving tourism; an ISO 24803-based standard and a licensing system for centres and instructors are under development. No state diving permit was found for the sites here, but some are in marine protected areas (fishing banned) and the Akrotiri peninsula belongs to the British Sovereign Base Area. Ancient amphorae are protected by Cypriot law (a PADI article warns of heavy fines) – photograph, never remove. Check current rules with your centre
Emergency: General emergency number 112. Paphos General Hospital runs a hyperbaric clinic (tel. +357 26803114, appointments +357 26803486), as listed by the Cyprus tourism authority
Hazards and wildlife: Invasive lionfish are common; corroded wreck edges are sharp (Costandis, Lady Thetis). Mediterranean monk seals visit the Manijin–coast zone in winter and Akamas is a turtle nesting area: keep distance. Currents are usually mild but can be strong at Mazaki and Jubilee Shoals – carry a surface marker

Season

Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Acceptable: Apr, May, Nov
Poor: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Water temperature: 17–27 °C

Diving runs all year. The sea is about 20 C in May, 24 in June, 26 in July, 27 in August, 26 in September, 24 in October and 22 in November; in winter (December to April) it is 17–19 C, so a thicker suit is needed and trips are less frequent. Visibility is usually 20–30 m.

Dive sites (22)

Paphos & Coral Bay

Achilleas Wreck – 9–12 m, beginner
Airport Reef – 3–16 m, beginner
Amphitheatre (Coral Bay) – 4–16 m, beginner
Amphorae Caves – 5–14 m, beginner
Cynthiana – 3–12 m, beginner
EDRO III Wreck – 2–20 m, intermediate
Laboe Wreck – 20–27 m, advanced
Manijin Island – 6–22 m, intermediate
The Shoals (Demetrios II wreck) – 6–12 m, beginner
Vera K Wreck – 5–12 m, intermediate

Akrotiri & Episkopi Bay

Akrotiri Fish Reserve (Seal Garden, Shark's Cove, Tombs) – 6–20 m, advanced
Three Stars Wreck (Akrotiri) – 3–10 m, beginner

Limassol & Pissouri

Amathunta Pyramids (artificial reef) – 18–35 m, beginner
Costandis Wreck – 20–25 m, intermediate
Jubilee Shoals – 16–65 m, advanced
Lady Thetis Wreck – 12–20 m, intermediate

Akamas & Latchi

Amphitheatre Bay (Latchi) – 3–18 m, beginner
Aphrodite's Rock & Aphrodite Island – 3–18 m, beginner
Blue Lagoon – 1–10 m, beginner
Kakoskali Reef – 5–40 m, intermediate
Mazaki Island – 5–22 m, advanced
Photiades Wall – 10–25 m, beginner

Operators (6)

Cydive (Mediterraneo Dive Resort) – dive centre, Marina Court, 1 Poseidonos Avenue, Paphos
Coral Bay Divers – dive centre, 20 Laxion Street, Coral Bay, Pegeia
ABC Dive (Paphos) – dive centre, 21 Ikarou Street, Paphos
Crest Dive – dive centre, St Raphael Marina, Limassol
TD Diving – dive centre, 12 Dilou, Limassol (boat at Limassol Marina)
Pissouri Bay Divers – dive centre, 54 Ampelonon Street, Pissouri Bay

Routes (11)

Site positions are approximate unless marked otherwise and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Most Cypriot sites are dived with a local centre and many have no published position; respect protected areas, ancient amphorae and wrecks, and check current rules.