The 8 best diving spots in Corfu

Paleokastritsa

Going on vacation to Greece? Don’t forget your diving equipment, because you’re about to discover the most beautiful seabed on Corfu!

The island of Corfu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beauty of its landscapes, with coasts hemmed in by a crystal-clear sea, mountains and typical villages, will not leave you indifferent. But there are other treasures hidden around the island: the underwater world! So don your stab, mask, fins and regulator and let yourself slip into the depths of the Ionian Sea. Corfu’s west coast is the most interesting for diving.

You’ll find a great variety of sites, from coral plateaus to drop-offs. The coastline is indented by numerous caves, making it one of the best destinations for cave diving. So don’t wait any longer and come and discover the beauties of the underwater world for a great trip between sightseeing and diving in Corfu!

1. Colovri

  • 📍 D eparture point: Paleokastritsa
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 17 to 25°C
  • ☑️ Level: advanced
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: groupers, barracudas

This dive site in Corfu is considered one of the best on the island. You start from the main reef and follow the rocky plateau to a second reef. You’ll move between rocky formations sheltering impressive groupers. The drop-offs go down to a depth of 120 meters.

To explore the depths down to 40 meters, you’ll need to be certified level 2 or advanced open water with the deep-sea specialty. If you cast an eye into the blue, you’ll be lucky enough to observe schools of barracuda spiraling in a magnificent underwater ballet. At a depth of 40 meters, you’ll also find a plateau colonized by multicolored soft corals.

2. Donald’s Place

Paleokastritsa

Photo credit: Shutterstock – Kite_rin

  • 📍 D eparture point: Paleokastritsa
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 17 to 25°C
  • ☑️ Level: intermediate
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: moray eels

Named in honor of a local diver, this Corfu dive site features a beautiful drop-off. The wall is dotted with holes and crevices where marine life has made its home. You’ll spot numerous moray eels poking their heads out of the rock’s crevices. Visibility is often in excess of 20 meters, making Donald’s Place one of the clearest dive sites in Corfu.

Lovers of underwater photography will be delighted by the wide variety of multicolored Mediterranean fish.

3. Agia Triada Beach and Agia Triada Reef

Plage d'Agia Triada, Corfou

Photo credit: Shutterstock – PETKOV Vesselin

  • 📍 D eparture point: Agia Triada beach
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 20 to 26°C
  • ☑️ Level: beginner
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: starfish, octopus, sole

Are you a beginner looking for a first dive in Corfu? This site is ideal! You’ll set off directly from the beach and immerse yourself in search of creatures that blend into the sand. You’ll see starfish and soles with their impressive camouflage. You’ll also be able to see a large number of snappers and breams crossing in front of your mask.

Once you feel comfortable, you can move on to the reef, which descends to a depth of 12 meters. And if you wish, your instructor can lead you through a passage in the rock.

4. The Anchor

Faire de la plongée à Corfou

Photo credit: Facebook – Achilleon Diving Center

  • 📍 D eparture point: Paleokastritsa
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 17 to 25°C
  • ☑️ Level: intermediate
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: sars, dentes, sea breams

You’ll need to descend to a depth of 26 meters to fully enjoy this dive site in Corfu. As the name suggests, the main attraction of this dive is a massive anchor almost 3 metres high. You’ll follow the chain that still links it to the remains of an enormous steamer. Although the ship sunk during the First World War is in poor condition, it provides a perfect habitat for marine life.

There is no possibility of penetrating the wreck, as most of the boat has been destroyed by the ravages of time. Nevertheless, you can climb over the metal structures in search of typical Mediterranean fauna. A few penetrable holes in the rock should complete your visit.

5. Junker Ju 88

  • 📍 D eparture point: east of the island
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 18 to 26°C
  • ☑️ Level: advanced
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: yellowtail, tuna, sardines

This diving site in Corfu is one of the most original. It’s not everywhere that you can see the wreckage of a Luftwaffe aircraft! The aircraft rests on the sand at 48 meters. You’ll need to be a Level 3 diver to fully enjoy this dive in Corfu. You’ll see the fuselage lying flat, as well as the cockpit. The engines are detached and rest 22 and 28 meters respectively from the rest of the aircraft.

In addition to the many fish that inhabit the plane, you may be lucky enough to spot dolphins skirting the reef.

6. Monastery

Faire de la plongée à Corfou

Photo credit: Facebook – Achilleon Diving Center

  • 📍 D eparture point: Paleokastritsa
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 18 to 24°C
  • ☑️ Level: intermediate
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: octopus, shrimp, sea perch

This is one of the most varied dive sites in Corfu. Whether you’re an open water diver or more advanced, you’re sure to enjoy yourself. The dive begins with a formidable arch at a depth of 15 meters and ends with a 10-meter-long tunnel.

Several caverns can also be explored, including one just 5 metres below the surface. You emerge to the surface and can admire the sky through a hole in the rock. At a depth of 22 meters, another cavern is filled with life and multicolored coral. A dive in Corfu not to be missed, whatever your level.

7. Othonoi Island

Othoni

Photo credit: Shutterstock – Dionisio iemma

  • 📍 D eparture point: north of Corfu
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 17 to 24°C
  • ☑️ Level: advanced
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: very diverse fauna

The island of Othonoi is 45 minutes by boat from Corfu. Take a day diving expedition to Corfu and discover the underwater beauties that surround this Greek pearl. Multiple sites surround the island, including a beautiful cavern and two shipwrecks. The Theodoros lies at a depth of 18 meters and is accessible to open water divers. It is possible to enter the boat’s interior, including the engine room.

Marine life has colonized the boat, and visibility in excess of 20 meters makes this wreck a perfect backdrop for underwater photographers. The second wreck is a cement conveyor boat, with the top just 12 meters from the surface. You’ll need an advanced level to descend to the propeller at 30 meters depth.

Ask the diving center with which you are doing this dive in Corfu if there are any stops planned on the way back. Some offer to drop you off on a beautiful white sandy beach after your two dives.

8. The Bottle

  • 📍 D eparture point: Paleokastritsa
  • 🌡️ Water temperature: 18 to 25°C
  • ☑️ Level: advanced
  • 🐚 Fauna and flora: Coral, sponges, crustaceans

This diving site in Corfu takes its name from the first cave you enter, which is shaped like a bottle. It’s a real labyrinth that awaits you, so it’s best to have a strong heart. One cave follows another, with narrow, dark passages and others full of light.

The guides are experienced and know the route well. Throughout your dive in Corfu, shine your torch on the cave walls. You’ll see dots shining everywhere, and as you get closer, you’ll discover all kinds of shrimp. Some are multicolored, others completely transparent. Many nudibranchs also inhabit these corridors.

The dive ends with a pipe that takes you back to the surface. You can see the sunlight from the bottom, and all you have to do to complete your dive is to enter the chimney. Certainly one of the most unforgettable dives in Corfu!