Rina Cave is one of those Cycladic features that photographs don’t do justice to. Part of it is the scale — the entrance looks small from the water; the chamber inside is enormous. Part of it is the light, which only makes sense when you’re floating in the middle of it.
Getting there
Rina is on the southern coast of Naxos, reachable only from the water. By sailboat from Naxos Town it’s about ninety minutes in typical conditions. By road you’d get to the nearest point on the coast and then need a boat anyway.
Swimming inside
The captain anchors off the entrance. You swim in. There’s natural light at the mouth and diffused light through the rock higher up. The water is deep, cool, and clear. Most guests stay in for ten to twenty minutes — some longer if the light is doing something interesting.
What to bring
- Comfortable swimwear you don’t mind swimming thirty metres in.
- A mask, if you have one — though we provide masks and fins on board.
- If you’re nervous about swimming in low light, a life jacket; we carry child and adult sizes.
Which tour visits Rina Cave?
Our Rina Cave & Small Cyclades day tour is built around this stop. Private charters can also include it, usually as part of a longer southern-Naxos route.
