Summary

Apokoronas municipality has received approval to sink a second decommissioned Greek Navy vessel — the former landing craft "A/V Folegandros" — off the coast of Omprosgialos, adding to an underwater park that already includes 37 artificial reef units spread across four dive routes. The "Esperos", the park's first sunken warship, is already established on the seabed. According to the municipality, the project aims to boost marine biodiversity and develop the area into a recognised diving destination.

Second Navy wreck approved for Apokoronas underwater park

A second decommissioned Greek Navy ship is set to be sunk off the coast of Omprosgialos, after authorities approved the deployment of the former landing craft "A/V Folegandros". The approval marks a new stage in the development of the Apokoronas Diving Park.

What is already underwater

The park has been taking shape for some time. Thirty-seven artificial reef units are already on the seabed, organised into four defined dive routes and seven landmark habitat points. The first sunken warship, the "Esperos", is already a fixture of the underwater landscape at Omprosgialos and has become a recognised dive site in the region.

What the second wreck adds

Shipwrecks are among the most sought-after dive sites anywhere in the world. As the "Folegandros" settles on the seabed, it is expected to attract marine life and gradually develop into a living artificial reef, expanding the habitat available in the area.

The municipality says the park serves a dual purpose: protecting and enhancing marine biodiversity, and creating a distinctive tourism product capable of drawing divers from across Greece and abroad.

What this means for the area

For divers and dive schools operating in the Apokoronas area, the park is growing into a structured destination with clearly marked routes and major focal points. The Omprosgialos coastal area stands to see increased visitor numbers as the park develops.

No date has been announced yet for the actual sinking of the "Folegandros".

PRESS RELEASE – The sinking of the second ship of the Navy in Apokoronas has been approved.

March 27, 2026, 9:55 AM

With the approval for the sinking of the former landing craft "A/V FOLEGANDROS" in Omprosgialos — following the "ESPEROS", which is already a point of reference on the seabed of the area — the Municipality of Apokoronas enters a new, more dynamic phase in the implementation of the Diving Park.

As announced by the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis:

"We have already sunk 37 main units of artificial habitats (reefs), organised into 4 complete diving routes and 7 habitat-landmarks, which give the park its identity and experience.

This project is not simply a marine park. It is a project with a beginning, a middle and a clear goal. An underwater park that enhances biodiversity, protects the marine environment and creates a strong, outward-facing tourist product.

The addition of a second warship shows that Apokoronas can implement projects that change the landscape. I know well that this path has not been easy. We have encountered obstacles, delays, challenges… and the well-known underground reactions that appear every time something great is about to happen.

Today, Omprosgialos is not only a place of natural beauty — it is a place of creation, a place of progress, a place that proves what a municipality can achieve when it has a plan and determination.

As Mayor of Apokoronas, I say clearly that this project is only the beginning. Apokoronas will continue to lead the way, to innovate, to protect the environment and to create new opportunities for our community."