Karystos, Central Greece, Greece

Cape Bouros Reef

Cape Bouros lies at the southern tip of Evia, the long island that runs along the eastern flank of central mainland Greece. The cape is fully exposed to the open Aegean and to the current that funnels through the South Evian Gulf, creating a high-energy environment that supports strong fish life. The reef descends in stepped ridges from a shallow plateau at 6 metres to a sandy interface at around 30 metres, with the rocky structure heavily fissured and dotted with overhangs. Resident species include dusky grouper, brown meagre, Mediterranean moray, common octopus, scorpionfish, slipper lobster, ornate wrasse, painted comber and damselfish, with seasonal pelagic visits from amberjack, bonito and barracuda schools. Currents are typically moderate and can run stronger when the meltemi peaks in July and August; the dive is best suited to advanced open-water divers with drift experience. Visibility regularly exceeds 20 metres in summer. Boat access is from Karystos, on the southern tip of Evia. The site is a regular stop for Athens-based dive day-trips, since Evia is connected to the mainland by a short bridge at Chalkida and Karystos is reachable by car ferry from Marmari.