Diving In Cyprus – And The Incredible Museum Of Underwater Sculptures

Tia — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 14:31:58 +0000

Diving in Cyprus is an activity that should not be missed while spending time on the island!

From the world-famous Zenobia wreck to the turtle heaven in Green Bay, and now, the incredible Musan – Ayia Napa’s brand new underwater sculpture museum.

Keep reading to find out details about diving in Cyprus and Musan, as well as tips for the best diving lessons, and a list of other awesome places to dive on the island!

Is Diving good in Cyprus?

Hell yeah, it is! Cyprus’s warm climate means sea temperatures of 25 degrees all the way into October – which means comfortable diving for longer!

The island’s spectacular beaches have also been awarded the ”cleanest waters in Europe” – which in turn means great visibility when scuba diving.

Combine this with the numerous shipwrecks, and caves, and you’ve got yourself a winner!

My Diving Journey

Personally, I have wanted to scuba dive for years. And each year, I chickened out.

While I am a good swimmer and snorkeler, the thought of being so far down into the bed of the sea… Panic mode ON!

In my trips to Belize, Costa Rica, and Thailand – I realized exactly what I was missing out on.

Especially as all 3 are a diver’s paradise, and Belize is home to the world-famous Blue Hole.

I was so upset at myself, I ended up snorkeling with nurse sharks to make myself feel better!

Where can I learn how to dive?

Hands down, you need to get yourself to Aquanaut Diving School! The school is located in the beautiful Green Bay Protaras – a beautiful beach favored by turtles.

That is where you will find Theo – the man responsible for teaching me how to dive, and getting over my fear of the unknown!

Theo, and the entire Aquanaut Diving School, are pure professionals, that will teach you everything you need to know to feel safe, and really enjoy the incredible experience of Scuba Diving.

Additionally, they are fun-loving, free-flowing people – and sometimes, that is a great thing. Personally, I often take myself way too seriously and miss out on all the fun!

How many Diving Certificates are there, and what is the cost?

First up you will need to start with your Open Water Certificate – which requires 5 dives. ( You can dive into Musan Ayia Napa with this diploma).

Once you are hooked ( and you will be) you can go on and schedule more lessons for more advanced certificates for diving into wrecks etcetera.

The most popular courses go as follows:

Open Water NAUI/PADI
Advanced Open Water
Master Scuba Diver
Scuba Master

Click here for the prices of these courses at Aquanaut Diving School

Where can I dive in Cyprus?

Prepare to submerge yourselves into a world of shipwrecks, caves, and eerie sculptures in the bed of the sea!

Musan Underwater Sculture Museum – Ayia Napa

Hauntingly beautiful and eerily peaceful, the MUSAN is a unique site in the Mediterranean Sea where you can see a large-scale sculpture by world-renowned artist Jason De Caires Taylor.

When diving in Cyprus, a visit to Musan is an absolute must – both for scuba divers, freedivers, and snorkelers too!

MUSAN is located on the edge of a protected marine area. If you are lucky, you might even get to see turtles, exotic fish, and sea urchins.

Do I need a booking to Visit Musan?

According to MUSAN, visitors need to book their reservations through a diving school like Aquanaut (even for free diving and snorkeling).

Diving in Musan is actually free ( For 2021) but the scuba diving school will charge you their own fee.

This means that you do not need to have your own equipment. The diving school will provide you with everything you need!

Prices are approx 25 euros for snorkeling/ freediving and 70 euros for scuba diving.

Disclaimer: The park can either be accessed by boat from the Ayia Napa harbor ( hence the change) or by the beach from Pernera Beach. Access from the beach to the park is 200m, which is super easy for scuba divers but might be tiring for snorkelers and freedivers.

Do I need To be a certified diver?

Yes, for scuba diving at the museum, the visitors are required to be certified scuba divers. (NAUI, Open water Scuba diver, Padi / SSI / SDI / RAID Open water, CMAS 1 star or equivalent).

Certifications should be by any of these internationally recognized certifying organizations (PADI, NAUI, CMAS, RAID, SSI, SDI, or equivalent).

You can also choose to snorkel and free dive – but in my opinion, nothing beats the experience of studying this environment up close and taking your time to observe the magic!

Is Musan family-friendly?

Sure, as long as you stick to snorkeling, which requires no certification and your kids are good swimmers! To be honest, you might not want your kids to closely observe the sculptures anyway. Look at my pictures, they are creepy as hell haha!

As far as safety goes, MUSAN is luckily demarcated so no boats are allowed to pass through.

Green Bay, Protaras

Green Bay is hands down one of the most famous diving spots on the island. It is also where you will first learn how to dive with Aquanaut diving school.

This gorgeous beach is located in the heart of Protaras. Open water and beginner divers will begin diving here at a depth of 10meters.

Home to a great feeding station – the area is brimming with marine life and beautiful turtles! (please NOT touch the turtles or any other creature you encourage)

At Green Bay, you will also see underwater statues and columns that will leave you wide-eyed and hungry for more!

Zenobia Shipwreck – Larnaca

Hailed as every diver’s dream wreck, Zenobia is the King of famous shipwrecks in Cyprus. Impressively, it is also rated as one of the top ten wreck dives in the world.

So I guess it is safe to say that while diving in Cyprus, a trip to Zenobia is a must!

The wreck is located in Larnaca. It is a Swedish ferry, which sunk off the coast of Larnaca in 1980. The ferry and cargo are still intact and fascinating to explore. The area is also home to tuna, barracuda, and abundant marine life.

The dive starts at a depth of 17 meters and bottoms at 43 meters, so you will need an advanced open water diving certificate for this.

Lady Thetis, Limassol

Lady Thetis lies 18 meters deep in Limassol. It was actually sunk in 2014 by Cypriot authorities to create new reefs and dive sites to explore.

Home to groupers, breams, and damselfish, there are both easy and more advanced things to explore here. Therefore, It is ideal for an introduction to wreck diving!

Certification level: Open Water +

Devil’s Head, Akamas

Whether you are a Cypriot resident or a tourist, the Akamas Peninsula is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful areas of the island. You simply MUST explore it, both by land – ( in an Akamas Road Trip and Safari), by the beach, and by diving!

The ‘devil’s head’ is a particularly popular spot, that features caves and tunnels at a depth of 11 meters. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles, rock formations, and other gorgeous marine life.

Manidjin Island, Paphos

Starting at 6 meters all the way to a depth of 25 meters, this spectacular cave is so cool!

The cave itself is covered in a variety of purple and pink calciferous algae. Additionally, many divers often spot yellowfin barracuda at the site.

Jubilee Shoals, Avdimou, Limassol

Experienced divers will love the challenge of Jubilee, which takes you on an underwater journey of 20-60m deep!

It is the largest natural reef in Cyprus, and arguably the best non-wreck dive site on the island. Jubilee offers breathtaking scenery and views of tuna, octopus, jackfish, and other gorgeous creatures.

This impressive cliff comes with caves, tunnels, and pinnacles to enjoy! So make sure you charge your Go Pro camera to the fullest!

Certification level: Advanced Open Water +

Thank you for reading through my guide about diving in Cyprus!

I hope to have inspired and educated you enough, to take the plunge and enjoy this incredible activity on this paradisiacal island.

Don’t forget to check my Diving Vlog here, and follow my Instagram for more posts, reels, and content on Cyprus!

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