Scuba diving for guests staying in Lefkogia and Preveli

If you are staying in Lefkogia, near Damnoni or Ammoudi, or anywhere on the road towards Preveli, you are already on the stretch of coast where we dive. The bays below Lefkogia are the bays we take our guests into, and the reef at Schinaria sits between you and Preveli. For you, diving with us is less a day trip than a short hop down the hill.

Who stays around Lefkogia and Preveli

Lefkogia is a working village a short way inland from the coast, on the road from Plakias towards Preveli. It is more everyday Crete than resort, and it suits people who like village life and are happy to drive to a different beach each day. Below it, the bays at Damnoni and Ammoudi have their own apartments and small hotels, popular with families who want sand and shallow water close by. Further east, the Preveli area draws visitors for the monastery and the famous palm beach at the mouth of the river.

The guests who message us from here tend to be one of three kinds: families with a mix of divers and non-divers, certified divers who have spotted Schinaria from the road and want to see it underwater, and couples looking for something to do with their mornings before the beach gets busy.

Getting to our centre from Lefkogia and Preveli

Our centre is in Plakias, in Agios Vasileios, just west of you along the same coast. From Lefkogia and the bays below it, the drive to Plakias is the coast road you have probably already used to go into the village for dinner. From the Preveli side, you come back over the headland past Lefkogia and on to Plakias.

We do not quote drive times, and you do not need one. Tell us on WhatsApp where you are staying and what you want to do, and we will set a meeting time at the centre that fits. Because our sites are on your side of Plakias, the dive may well take you back to the water below where you are staying.

Our dive sites on your doorstep

Two of our three sites are on this stretch of coast.

Schinaria

Schinaria lies east of Plakias, past Damnoni and Ammoudi, on the way to Preveli. It is a shore site with excellent visibility, rugged rock formations, a large cave, reefy areas, natural channels and deeper wall sections. Octopus and moray eels are regulars. We can keep the profile gentle for a first-timer or take an experienced diver deeper along the walls. Our travel guide has a page on Schinaria Beach if you want to see it from above first.

The old harbour of Damnoni

Damnoni's old harbour is a gentle, shallow slope with no sudden drop-offs, which makes it ideal for training and first dives. Further out, the seabed changes: steep declines, caves and underwater gorges for divers with more experience. We reach it from the shore or by boat, depending on the conditions.

Peristerovolakas

Our third site is on the other side of Plakias, near Souda: a long shallow reef sloping into deeper blue. It is a good contrast to the rockier sites on your side of the bay.

What guests staying here usually choose

Boat dives

Certified divers staying near Preveli often want to see the parts of this coast that no path reaches. Our guided boat dives take up to six guests to the deeper walls and caves, with one or two dives chosen for the day's conditions.

Going further: Advanced Adventurer

With two sites so close, this is a good base for building experience. The SSI Advanced Adventurer course takes two to three days and adds adventure dives such as deep, navigation and boat diving, using the walls and channels at Schinaria and the deeper sections off Damnoni.

Learning from scratch

If you have never dived, you can start with a try dive or go straight into the Open Water Diver course, three to four days with the theory done on your phone before you arrive.

Snorkelling and kids

At Schinaria and Peristerovolakas the reef starts in the shallows, so much of what the divers see is visible from the surface. Guided snorkelling runs about two hours with the equipment provided, and it is the easiest way to bring non-divers along. We also run first dives for children, calmly and in shallow water. Ask us about ages before you book.

Why guests here choose us

• We know these bays. Schinaria and Damnoni are our sites, not a stop on a long boat route.
• Six guests at most on the boat. There is room to sit down, and the day can be adjusted to the people on board.
• Giannis. Over ten years of diving experience, and the name guests mention most in their reviews. He teaches in Greek, English and German.
• The only SSI centre in Plakias. PADI divers carry on with us without repeating anything.

A morning from Lefkogia

1. Meet at the centre at the time we agree on WhatsApp.
2. Dive while the sea is calm. On the south coast the mornings are usually the calmest part of the day.
3. Afternoon at the beach. Head back to Damnoni or Ammoudi, or go on to Preveli Beach for the rest of the day.

Staying somewhere else nearby? See areas we serve.