Amazing Alonissos – The all round dive vacation destination

In early summer we were given a wonderful opportunity to visit Alonissos in the Sporades Islands in the northern Aegean Sea.  This green and forested island sits at the edge of the Alonissos National Marine Park, the largest marine protected area in Europe.  Our main focus was to be scuba diving, but during our short stay we were especially impressed with all of the other activities and experiences available on Alonissos for the discerning vacationer.

The scuba diving was really outstanding.  In contrast to some areas of the Mediterranean, the marine biodiversity here was impressively diverse and abundant.  Our short stay meant we just had a small taste of the diving available, however our hosts at Alonissos Triton Dive Center treated us to some exceptional sites from their impressively long list.  The variety of marine life we encountered was a delight: large Gorgonian sea fans, many species of nudibranchs, small pipefish to large groupers, octopus, and much more.  

One of the most incredible experiences was the chance to dive the oldest accessible shipwreck in the world, the Ancient Shipwreck of Peristera underwater archeological site from 500 BC … an amazing dive site with a very unique automated underwater museum monitoring system in place to protect its archaeological heritage.  It was a busy but hugely satisfying few days of diving and we could certainly spend much longer on this idyllic isle!

Greece has a huge number of beautiful islands to visit, so why choose Alonissos? 
This island is one of the quieter Greek islands and as such has a very relaxed and welcoming feel, where you can find an authentic slice of the Aegean region.  And, it is really easy to get there — so many airports in the UK offer flight connections directly to Skiathos (the hub of the Sporades) that you should not have to drive more than 100km in the UK to an airport.

Finally, the variety of non-diving activities is hard to beat.  There are boating day trips into the National Marine Park, taking you to visit secluded beaches and giving you a chance to see some amazing wildlife (such as monk seals, Eleonora’s Falcon, and several species of dolphin to name a few).  Both the main port town of Patitiri and the old village of Chora are full of interesting shops, charming alleyways, and restaurants with delicious meals. As an added bonus, the Alonissos cheese pie is a particularly moreish local specialty!

As a holiday destination, Alonissos really had everything one could ask for.  Look for our full print article in an upcoming issue of Scubaverse’s own Dive Travel Adventures magazine!

Thanks to:

The Municipality of Alonissos (https://alonissos.gr/en/)

Alonissos Triton Dive Center (https://bestdivingingreece.com)

Alonissos National Marine Park (https://alonissos.gr/en/marine-park/overview.html)

Paradise Hotel (https://paradise-hotel.gr/)

Albedo Travel (https://alonissosholidays.com/)