Crete Welcomes Approval of First Diving Park

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The first diving park complete with shipwrecks and 38 artificial reefs to operate on the island of Crete, was given the green light by the region’s Environment and Spatial Planning Committee.

Under the supervision of the Apokoronas Municipality, Chania, the marine park is set to operate in the coastal area of Bros Gialos Bay, outside the protected Natura 2000 area.

The 15-acre park, designed to accommodate large groups or individual divers on three 20-meter-deep routes, will operate services from the ports of Georgioupoli, Almirida, Kalives, Marathi and Bros Gialos.

Chania, Crete

According to Crete MEP Nikos Igoumenidis, the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment is scheduled to be signed by relevant authorities, paving the way for other such parks across the island and Greece, which will boost diving tourism while ensuring safety and sustainable practices.

Igoumenidis, added that “the development and promotion of diving tourism is part of the ministry’s ongoing national tourism strategy, aiming to tackle the seasonality of the sector and to enrich and diversify the tourist product by tapping into Greece’s natural offerings”.

Island authorities also have plans to create diving parks in Stalida, Mononafti, and Mirabello Bay.