Swimming tours open to the public, aimed at introducing visitors to Pavlopetri and raising awareness of the threats it faces, will be organized on August 30 and 31 by the Municipality of Elafonisos, in collaboration with ARCH Europe and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities.
The submerged prehistoric settlement of «Pavlopetri» is located across from Elafonisos. A strip of land connected Elafonisos to the opposite shore during the Late Neolithic Period (4th millennium B.C.). This is where the extensive Bronze Age settlement (3rd and 2nd millennia B.C.) developed. A prehistoric city, with streets, houses, and a cemetery, is visible to visitors and swimmers at a depth of 1–3 m. The foundations of building walls, streets, box-shaped tombs, and tombs carved into the natural rock are just some of what swimmers will encounter, according to the organizers. The ruins cover an area of 40 stremmata, while many structures are still buried beneath the sand.
As part of the INHERIT program, the Peloponnese Region, in collaboration with the Municipality of Elafonisos and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, installed underwater markers to assist swimmers.
The underwater tours will take place on Friday, August 30, at 9:30 a.m. (in Greek) and at 11:00 a.m. (in English) and on Saturday, August 31, at 9:30 a.m. (in Greek and English). The meeting point is at the sign for the archaeological site on Pavlopetrou Beach.
To participate, you must bring a mask, a snorkel, fins or water shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and water. Please register by emailing web@elafonisos.gov.gr. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
