Kissamos, Crete, Greece

Balos Lagoon

Balos Lagoon, at the northwest tip of Crete near Kissamos, is one of the most photographed beaches in the Mediterranean, an immense shallow lagoon between the Gramvousa peninsula and the small Tigani islet. The lagoon is shallow throughout, with most of the area between 1 and 5 metres, and the diving extension reaches a maximum of around 18 metres outside the lagoon mouth where the sandy bottom of the bay drops away. Inside the lagoon the substrate is fine white sand mixed with crushed shell, occasionally broken by patches of Posidonia seagrass that support pipefish, sea hares and small flatfish. The deeper sandy bottom outside hosts common stingray, weever fish and the occasional sole, while small rocky outcrops near the entrance attract scorpionfish, common octopus and ornate wrasse. The dive is shallow, calm and best suited to entry-level divers, refresher dives or as a snorkel-grade pairing with a Gramvousa boat trip.