Skinaria Cave - Crete
Skinaria Cave offers a straightforward cavern dive on Crete's south coast. Inside, you'll find an air pocket allowing you to surface and take in the unique rock formations. The light play from the entrance makes for some interesting photography. It’s a good choice for divers looking for a simple cavern exploration without deep penetration.
- Location
- Crete, Greece, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 35.166630, 24.418282
- Type
- cave
Marine Protected Area: ASFENDOU - KALLIKRATIS KAI PARAKTIA ZONI
Best Time to Dive in Crete
The warmest water temperatures in Crete occur in August, averaging 25.1°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 16.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 17.3°C
- February: 16.4°C
- March: 16.4°C
- April: 17.0°C
- May: 19.2°C
- June: 22.3°C
- July: 24.1°C
- August: 25.1°C
- September: 24.6°C
- October: 22.9°C
- November: 20.9°C
- December: 18.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Crete
- 5B-CCF - 18m (wreck)
- ABED AL SALEM - 5m (wreck)
- ADAMAS - 2m (wreck)
- ADRIAS - 25m (wreck)
- Aegean Divers
- Afalatosi
- Agios Pavlos Cliff and Caves (cave)
- Agios Pavlos Gold Mine
- Agios Pavlos Wall (wall)
- Akrotiri reef (reef)
- Alonaki
- Ammoudi Reef (reef)
- Ammoudi Reef Wreck (wreck)
- Ammoudi Wall (wall)
- Arado 196 A (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Skinaria Cave
Marine Life in Crete
Home to 11 recorded species including 5 reef fish, 1 other, 1 sea urchins, 1 worms, 1 seagrass & algae, 1 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Studded Pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus) - Reef Fish
- Bearded Fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) - Worms
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Elliptical File-Shell (Limatula subauriculata) - Clams & Mussels
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- gribble (Limnoria lignorum) - Crabs & Lobsters
Recommended Packing List for Skinaria Cave
Based on average water temperature of 20.4°C, currents 5 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