All activities / Scuba Diving / Larnaca
Scuba Diving in Larnaca
A city and port on the south coast of Cyprus, home to the island's main airport and a palm-lined seafront, and the launch point for diving the Zenobia, a 172-metre roll-on ferry that sank in 1980 and now ranks among the world's top wreck dives.
Why here
Larnaca exists on the dive map for one reason, the Zenobia. She was a brand-new 172-metre Swedish-built roll-on roll-off ferry that capsized and sank in the bay on her maiden voyage in June 1980, still loaded with more than a hundred articulated lorries, and she now lies on her port side between about 16 and 42 metres just outside the harbour. Divers consistently vote her one of the ten best wreck dives in the world, and the short boat ride from Larnaca means you are down on the wreck within minutes rather than after a long crossing. The water is warm and clear for much of the year, and the wreck has range: shallow passes over the car deck and the upper hull for newer divers, and deeper penetration of the cargo holds, the accommodation and the bridge for those with the training. Around the Zenobia the local centres also run reef and cavern dives, so a week here mixes the headline wreck with easier days.
Best months
Diving runs year round, with sea temperatures around 26 to 27 degrees in summer and dropping to the high teens in winter. The best conditions are roughly April to November, when the sea is calmest and warmest and visibility on the Zenobia is at its best. The wreck sits in the open bay, so trips can be moved or shortened in strong wind. Depths from 16 to 42 metres mean the shallower sections suit newly qualified divers while the holds and interior are advanced and technical territory.
Getting there & around
Larnaca has the island's main international airport a few minutes from the seafront, so the wreck is one of the most accessible world-class dives anywhere. Dive centres cluster in the Pyla area on the Dhekelia road just east of town and run daily boats to the Zenobia. Bring certification and, for the interior, proof of wreck or technical training. Nitrox and technical gear are widely available. Water is warm enough for a 5mm suit in summer; a thicker suit or drysuit is worth it in winter.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Alpha Divers
OutfitterAlpha Divers is a PADI Career Development Centre in Pyla, Larnaca, and in 2025 became the only authorised PADI Five Star CDC on the island, PADI's highest dive-centre rating. It calls itself the Zenobia wreck specialist and runs daily boat trips on the 13-metre Kallypso II, fitted with the first diver lift in Cyprus, and the catamaran Supercat. The centre trains divers from first-timer through instructor level and has featured on Discovery Channel filming the wreck.
Viking Divers
OutfitterViking Divers is a long-established PADI Five Star dive centre on the Dhekelia road at Pyla, Larnaca, minutes by boat from the Zenobia wreck, which it notes belongs among the top ten wrecks in the world. It runs boat dives, shore dives and combined jeep-and-boat dive safaris to sites around the island. The centre takes divers from a complete beginner's first try-dive through to advanced and technical levels, working in small groups with multilingual guiding.