Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

Adiavates Cave

Adiavates Cave is a volcanic cavern carved into the southern coast of Santorini, accessible by boat from Akrotiri. The entrance opens at around 6 metres and the cavern extends roughly 30 metres back into the cliff, with a maximum depth in the chamber of about 18 metres. A large air pocket forms at the back of the cave, and divers can surface inside the rock to look up at vaulted volcanic ceilings before continuing the dive. Light entering from the entrance creates dramatic blue shafts that photographers prize, and the volcanic walls are colonised with red sponges, encrusting bryozoans and small soft corals in shaded zones. Marine life inside the cave is dominated by cardinalfish that hover in tight schools just inside the dim entrance, alongside resident scorpionfish and slipper lobster tucked into cracks. Outside, the reef hosts common octopus, ornate wrasse and dusky grouper. The cavern is short and well-lit relative to true cave systems, making it suitable for intermediate divers, but a good torch is essential.