Peristera Shipwreck

Conosciuto anche come: Peristera Wreck · Alonissos Underwater Museum

Peristera opened Greek underwater archaeology to recreational divers: in August 2020 the wreck became the country's first underwater museum. The exposed wooden parts of the ship have rotted away, but its cargo of several thousand amphorae still forms a large mound, and many intact jars now host sponges and fish. Signs lead divers along a set route past labelled finds. The vessel is believed to have carried wine from Mende in Chalkidiki and from ancient Peparethos, today's Skopelos, and its size showed that Greek shipbuilders built such large cargo ships centuries earlier than archaeologists had assumed, which earned it the nickname Parthenon of Shipwrecks. Visits follow ministry rules: Advanced Open Water or another certification to 30 m, a check dive with an accredited centre beforehand and a booking in one of the fixed time slots, with at most eight divers per slot.