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Grande Grotta & the Kalymnos walls

DivingNo permitMooring buoys

Caves & blue holes · Also good for snorkeling & anchoring

The Aegean & the Dodecanese, GRGrande Grotta & the Kalymnos walls
Best time
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Water temp.
17–25 °C
Dive depth
5–40 m
Coordinates36°57′50″ N, 26°57′14″ E

A cave whose roof breaks the surface while its floor drops away underwater, so you swim from daylight into a chamber lit from above. Around it, Kalymnos' walls, ancient amphora scatters, and the sponge-diving heritage that defined the island. The limestone cliffs above hold some of the best sport climbing in Europe. Kalymnos was the sponge-diving capital of the Mediterranean, and its divers paid a terrible price, the primitive Fleuss and standard-dress suits crippled generations with decompression sickness, a history the island's museum documents unflinchingly. The sponge fleet died with synthetic sponges in the 1980s. Anchorage: Anchor in Emborios or Vathy fjord, a spectacular narrow inlet on the east coast. Hazards: Overhead environment in the deeper cave sections; take a guide.

Weather

°C°F

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