POLIKOS - Alonissos Marine Park
Polikos is a proper dive, a deep wreck with a story, and one of our favourites in Alonissos. We’re talking a wooden cargo ship, probably from the 1930s, that went down carrying roof tiles – you can still see them spilling out of the holds. She sits upright at 34 metres, well-preserved, her timbers dark and imposing as you descend. It’s the sheer scale that gets you, her bow pointing up from the seabed, draped in growth. You’ll find walls of colourful sponges, soft corals that sway gently in the mild current, and plenty of fish life darting in and out of the broken deck sections. We've often seen large groupers peering out from shadowed corners, and schools of damselfish flitting over the deck. Visibility here is usually excellent, so the light plays beautifully through the water, illuminating the wreck’s ghostly silhouette. It’s a site for experienced divers comfortable at depth, who appreciate the quiet history of a submerged vessel and the marine life that now calls it home. We’d suggest a nitrox blend to really maximise your bottom time here.
- Location
- Alonissos Marine Park, Greece, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 37.578835, 23.395445
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 34m
Marine Protected Area: THALASSIA PERIOCHI PAFSANIA – YPOTHALASSIA IFAISTEIA METHANON
Best Time to Dive in Alonissos Marine Park
The warmest water temperatures in Alonissos Marine Park occur in August, averaging 27.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 13.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 14.5°C
- February: 13.9°C
- March: 14.2°C
- April: 15.4°C
- May: 18.7°C
- June: 23.5°C
- July: 26.5°C
- August: 27.2°C
- September: 25.3°C
- October: 22.8°C
- November: 19.9°C
- December: 16.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Alonissos Marine Park
- AES GIORGIS - 5m (wreck)
- Aghios Petros
- AGIA MATRONA - 40m (wreck)
- AGIOS IOANNIS - 3m (wreck)
- AGIOS NICOLAOS - 25m (wreck)
- Agios Romanos
- ALEXANDROS Z - 54m (wreck)
- ALEX G - 9m (wreck)
- Alonissos National Marine Park
- AMALIA - 6m (wreck)
- ANDREAS - 25m (wreck)
- ANDROS - 36m (wreck)
- Andros Wreck (wreck)
- Apollonia II wreck (wreck)
- APOLLONIA VI - 20m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to POLIKOS
Marine Life in Alonissos Marine Park
Home to 16 recorded species including 3 whales & dolphins, 3 reef fish, 2 other, 2 hard corals, 2 crabs & lobsters, 1 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Leidy's Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Bottleneck Sea Cucumber (Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens) - Sea Cucumbers
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
Recommended Packing List for POLIKOS
Based on average water temperature of 19.9°C, currents 3 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 20°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories