Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece

Kalafati Reef

Kalafati Reef sits off the east coast of Mykonos near Kalafati Beach and is the home reef of the island's longest-running dive operator. The site is a series of large granite boulders, boulders and crevices arranged in a stepped reef that descends from a shallow plateau at 6 metres to a sandy interface at around 30 metres. The granite substrate is unusual for the central Cyclades, which are mostly volcanic and schist, and gives the reef a distinct geometry of rounded boulders and narrow swim-throughs. Resident species include dusky grouper, Mediterranean moray, common octopus, two-banded sea bream, damselfish, ornate wrasse, scorpionfish and painted comber, with seasonal pelagic visits from amberjack and bonito. Currents are typically weak in the lee of the headland, although the meltemi can create some surge in the shallows. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer and autumn. The shallow boulder field is also used as a training and check-out site, while the deeper slope rewards advanced open-water divers.