The Arch (Paleokastritsa) | Light-Filled Caverns

Site Overview

The Arch at Paleokastritsa is the quintessential Ionian cavern dive, a series of massive cavities and swim-throughs carved into the limestone headland and threaded by bright shafts of sunlight. Entering the water from a short boat ride, divers drop to a sandy shelf at around 10 m and fin gently into the first chamber, where golden light pours through a ceiling gap and lights a wall of gorgonians and sponges. Groupers lurk in the shadows, lobsters cling to the roof, and nudibranchs freckle the rock, while the occasional moray watches from its hole. The sandy floor is prone to silt, so good buoyancy is needed to keep the water clear for the next group. Deeper openings drop toward 25–30 m for those who want more, but the magic is in the shallow, light-filled caverns that make this a perfect site for newer divers and photographers alike. Warm, sheltered and richly decorated, The Arch is one of Corfu’s most beloved and most photographed dives. The Arch (Paleokastritsa) sits within Ionian Islands – Corfu and is best described as a cave and reef dive. The water here is typically clear, and the profile — from around 5 m down to 30 m — gives beginner divers a rewarding range of routes. Among the life you can expect are Dusky Grouper, European Lobster, Nudibranch, Mediterranean Moray, Anthias. The site rewards a slow, observant approach, and good buoyancy keeps both diver and reef safe. With sensible planning around weather and boats, it ranks among the more memorable stops on a Greek diving trip.