Classical-period archaeological wreckMarine Protected Area

Peristera wreck (Alonnisos Underwater Museum)

Depth: 22–30 mLevel: Advanced Open Water; only with an authorised guide

The wreck of a large classical-era merchant ship, loaded with thousands of amphorae that still lie stacked on the bottom exactly as they came to rest. It was found in 1982 by the Greek diver and fisherman Dimitrios Mavrikis together with his son Kostas, and he reported it to the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, which surveyed it in 1991 under the direction of Elpida Hadjidaki.

Depth

22–30 m

Recommended level

Advanced Open Water; only with an authorised guide

Current

Moderate

Protection status

National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades, the largest marine protected area in Europe; the wreck comes under the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities

Did you know?

It opened to recreational diving in 2020 as the Underwater Museum of Alonnisos, the first in Greece. It is a regulatory milestone: until then diving on Greek archaeological sites had been banned almost without exception, and this wreck marked the change of policy.

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (Peristera shipwreck)