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Olous

SnorkelingNo permitNo mooring buoys

Sunken cities · Also good for anchoring

The Aegean & the Dodecanese, GROlous
Best time
May–Oct
Water temp.
16–25 °C
Marine life
Coordinates35°16′01″ N, 25°43′51″ E

City walls and building foundations in half a metre of water beside a causeway, the easiest sunken city in the world to see, no equipment needed. You can literally walk over it. Across the bay, Spinalonga, the Venetian fortress island that was Greece's leper colony until 1957 and is now one of Crete's most atmospheric visits. Olous was a significant Cretan city-state with its own coinage, home to a wooden statue of Britomartis attributed to Daedalus. It sank through tectonic subsidence, Crete's western end has risen while its eastern end has dropped, a tilt still measurable today. Mosaic floors of an early Christian basilica survive nearby. Anchorage: Anchor in Elounda bay or Spinalonga's lee, excellent shelter and a superb Cretan anchorage. Hazards: No site-specific hazards noted, brief normally.

Weather

°C°F

Experiences nearby

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