Scuba diving near Rethymno

Rethymno town is on the north coast of Crete. We are on the south coast, in Plakias, in the same region and under an hour away by car. Guests based in Rethymno or the resorts around it drive down to us for a first dive, a course or a morning of guided diving, then head back or spend the rest of the day in the south. This is how that works in practice.

A day from Rethymno, step by step

1. Message us with your dates. Tell us what you would like to do, how many of you there are and whether anyone has dived before. We reply with a meeting time that leaves room for the drive.
2. Drive south. The road climbs from Rethymno through the mountains, and the usual route down to Plakias runs through the Kourtaliotiko Gorge.
3. Meet at the centre in Agios Vasileios, Plakias. Every dive, course and boat day starts and ends there. We check paperwork, fit equipment and talk through the plan.
4. In the water. A try dive, a course session, shore dives or a morning on the boat, depending on what you booked. The site is chosen on the morning, from the wind.
5. The rest of the day is yours. A beach towards Preveli, the gorge on the way home, or lunch in Plakias before the drive back.

Who the trip south suits

• First-timers staying on the north coast. A try dive takes about four hours including the theory, so it fits into one day with the drive either side.
• Certified divers. You can book two boat dives in one morning, so the drive pays off. If you want the whole day, the full-day boat trip takes two to six guests along the coast for about eight hours, with lunch on board.
• Students. The SSI Open Water Diver course runs over three to four days, with the theory done on your phone before you arrive, so every day you drive down is a day in the water.
• Groups where not everyone dives. Snorkellers and first-timers can share the full-day boat with the divers.

Who it may not suit

• Anyone who wants to dive outside their hotel. We have one centre, in Plakias, and we do not pretend to be on the north coast. If a drive is not part of your plans, a centre nearer your hotel will suit you better.
• Anyone who dislikes mountain bends. The drive south crosses the mountains. Factor that in, especially for children who get carsick.
• A course on a tight schedule. Three or four days of driving there and back adds up. If you are taking a course, think about spending those nights closer. Our page on the areas we serve compares the villages around Plakias, from Spili on the mountain road to the hillside villages above the bay.

What is included and what to bring

All diving equipment is included in every dive, course and boat day, along with the briefing and your guide or instructor. Please bring:

• Swimwear, a towel and sun protection.
• Your certification card and logbook, if you already dive.
• The name of the place you are staying, so we can set the meeting time around the drive.

Why guests make the drive

There are dive centres closer to Rethymno. Guests drive south to us for the calmer water of the south coast, where visibility often runs past thirty metres, and for Giannis, who has over ten years of diving experience and is the name guests mention most in their reviews. We are also the only SSI centre in Plakias, so the theory for a course happens on your phone before you arrive. If you already hold a PADI card, you carry on with us without repeating anything.