The Skopia dive route is an easily accessible coastal location situated in Xylofagou. Divers usually start from the shore but the location is also easily accessible by boat as it is very close to the Xylofagou boat shelter to the west. This location is also in close proximity to Cape Pyla to the east. The shallow nature of the route (1-18 metres depth), with a range of levels and entry points, makes it ideal for non-experienced divers as well as snorkellers. Advanced divers may also enjoy a leisurely dive, just over the 18 metre mark surrounding the deepest points of the route. Skopia enjoys good environmental conditions with very high visibility and is subject to low currents and comfortable temperatures throughout the year. 

The route is equipped with varying rock walls and crevices of different lengths and heights, as well as enticing geomorphological formations and patches of Posidonia seagrass meadows. In combination, the latter support a wide range of marine species from small nudibranchs, colourful tube-worms and fire-worms, to the alien long-spined urchin, colourful starfishes, as well as colonies of the Mediterranean endemic pillow coral. Many fish species such as wrasses, gobiids, sparids and scorpion fish are found here, as well as more predatory species such as carangids, invasive and dusky groupers.

Area: Xylofagou

Access: From shore/beach

Distance from shore: 0 – 110m 

Coordinates:  34°57’36.84″N 33°49’48.35″E

Dive type:  Natural reef, wall, circular 

Diving level: Open water | Advanced | Snorkelling 

Visibility: 20-35m

Water temperature: Up to 29°C in the Summer | Down to 16°C in the Winter 

Maximum depth: 18m

Currents: Low

Difficulty level: Low 

Species list of most common marine life encountered at Skopia:

Neptune grass / Posidonia oceanica

Squirrefish / Sargocentron rubrum

Mediterranean rainbow wrasse / Coris julis

Ornate wrasse / Thalassoma pavo

Damselfish / Chromis chromis

Blue-spotted cornetfish / Fistularia commersonii

Yellowspotted pufferfish / Torquigener flavimaculosus

Mediterranean parrot-fish / Sparisoma cretense

Red Sea goatfish / Parupeneus forsskali

Dusky spinefoot / Siganus luridus

Marbled spinefoot / Siganus rivulatus

Dusky grouper / Epinephelus marginatus

Cardinalfish / Apogon imberbis

Red scorpionfish / Scorpaena scrofa

Saddled seabream / Oblada melanura

Two – banded Sea bream / Diplodus vulgaris

Comber / Serranus cabrilla

Painted comberfish / Serranus scriba

Striped sea bream / Lithognathus mormyrus

Moray eel / Muraena helena

Lionfish / Pterois miles

Common octopus / Octopus vulgaris

Blue runner / Caranx crysos

Debrio / Trachinotus ovatus

Garfish / Belone belone

Greater amberjack / Seriola dumerili

Fire worm / Hermodice carunculata

Mediterranean pillow coral / Cladocora caespitosa

Pig-tooth coral / Balanophyllia europaea

Coralline algae / Mesophyllum sp.

Long spined sea urchin / Diadema setosum

Purple sea urchin / Paracentrotus lividus

Mediterranean red sea star / Echinaster sepositus

Oyster sponge / Crambe crambe

Pearl oyster / Pinctada imbricata radiata

Top snail / Trochidae sp.

Moon snail / Natica dillwynii

Bittersweet clam / Glycymeris violacescens

Ceriths / Cerithiidae sp.

Thorny oyster / Spondylus gaederopus

Rayed trough shell / Mactra stultorum

Striped venus clam / Chamelea gallina

Limpet / Patella sp.

Abalone / Haliotis tuberculate

Noah’s Ark shell / Arca noae

Little Circe-shell / Gouldia minima

Average Sea Surface Temperature (°C) per month