Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →
The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.
How we score the water
Our own model
Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.
01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.
Safety gates
Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.
It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.
A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground
This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.
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0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
MeteoAlarm no dataupdated 20:23
Kalamata — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
That is it for today — the day's windows have closed.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.
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−10 m
The water column
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
What it is
A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.
spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.
Now live: 1391 spots across 205 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
Dawn, while the jetty sleeps and the breeze has not got up. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May, banned at night as well, and an underwater torch is banned. In July-August boats run from the jetty non-stop, so June and September-October are better: still warm water, almost no traffic.
tide
This is the case where the water actually moves: the roughly 100 m channel between islet and shore squeezes the flow, and it swaps direction with the wind. The level meanwhile does nothing, so what you count is the stream in the channel. In winter the Viros gorge dumps muddy water into the bay.
shelter
Meropi islet lies 400 m south of the Kardamyli jetty and only 100 m off the rocky shore at Vardia. The islet and the headland break the wave from the northwest, while the mountain shuts off N and NE. The channel between islet and shore is workable almost always; the islet's open SW face takes everything head-on.
conditions
Diveable with N, NE and light wind: you can work the channel side even when it is ruffled outside, because the islet holds it. With S or SW, leave — the outer face of the islet turns nasty, and climbing out onto the Vardia rock with any surge is unpleasant. Depth comes on at once off the rock.
hazard
The channel sits right on the line boats take from the Kardamyli jetty — 400 m is close, a flagged buoy is compulsory and you stay within 50 m of it. The islet has been private since 1862, and the 1779 church and the fort ruins are a declared monument with a protection zone covering the whole island; do not land.
access
About 35 km from Kalamata on the coast road. Park in Kardamyli, walk south to the Vardia rocks and swim the channel, those same 100 m. By boat also works, but stay 200 m off the jetty and anchored craft. Entry is over rock; with any surge don't bother, there is no sand exit here.
Mani, Meropi islet off Kardamyli; sea bream and dentex on rock, deep close inshore.
Go at first light: summer mornings start calm and the thermal breeze builds after midday. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May, and at night, from sunset to sunrise, with an underwater torch also banned. The working months are June and September-October; July-August is warmer but murkier and busier.
tide
Tides barely count here, the level moves 10-30 cm. Something else works: at the tip water exchanges between the northern and southern bays, a flow runs along the rock and the water there is colder and clearer. After a few days of southerly wind add the wind setup, and the drift starts running alongshore.
shelter
The cape is the tail of the Kefalovouni ridge and splits the coast into two bays: Kitries bay to the north, the Kardamyli bight to the south. N and NW barely reach here, killed by the head of the gulf and the mountain. Only S and SW come in head-on, running the full length of the gulf onto the tip.
conditions
Diveable with N and NE and in the morning calm: it lies flat under the cape and visibility holds, 3-25 m on rock. Don't drive out with S or SW above about 5-6 m/s, the tip switches off at once, and outside summer a southerly system pushes long wave into the gulf. Watch the gusts falling off Taygetos.
hazard
Boats first: the light on the tip is a navigation mark, so craft round the cape close in, and the fishermen run out of the village jetty. Keep the yellow flagged buoy and stay within 50 m of it. Gusts drop off Taygetos without warning, so going far from shore on your own is a bad idea here.
access
15 km SE of Kalamata on the coast road, down to a village of about a hundred people. Park by the pebble, then walk the shore out to the lighthouse tip; entry is over rock, so bring boots. Stay 200 m off the jetty and off anchored boats. By boat it is easier, but come in from outside the cape.
Rocky cape with lighthouse 3–25 m, shore/boat; west shore, a club spot. Coords approx.
Dawn and the first hours, before the breeze sets in. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May, and at night, from sunset to sunrise, with an underwater torch banned too. In summer the town and Zaga beach are packed, so June and September-October are better. It is 52 km from Kalamata, so leave in the dark.
tide
Forget the level, it moves ten or twenty centimetres. What you count is the flow at the tip: gulf water meets the open sea here, a current runs along the point and it pulls noticeably. Right at the tip the water is colder and clearer, but that is exactly where the drift takes you offshore. Stay on the inner edge.
shelter
The point under the Venetian castle sits on the western side of the gulf, right at its mouth, and looks SE. The castle rock covers the northern, town side, which is calm nearly always. The tip itself is open to S and SW and takes everything that comes in from the open sea.
conditions
It works with N and NE and in calm, best in the morning: 2-20 m on rock, clear water. With S or SW the tip closes down — exposure here is higher than at the head of the gulf, because this is already the mouth. Outside summer, southerly systems drag long wave in; then don't come at all.
hazard
The current at the tip takes you offshore, not alongshore. There is a fishing jetty next door: stay 200 m off harbour works and anchored boats. And a Venetian castle stands over the point, with an ancient town on this spot; such a stretch can be declared an underwater archaeological zone with a total gun ban — check with the port authority.
access
52 km SW of Kalamata. Leave the car in town and walk down under the castle: a drop to rock ledges, entry over stone, slippery when it is breaking. By boat the tip is easier to reach. Zaga beach under the castle is organised in summer and loggerhead turtles come ashore there — stay off it.
Rocky point under a Venetian castle 2–20 m, shore/boat; SE gulf, some current at the tip.
Dawn, before the breeze gets up — it builds after 11:00-13:00. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May. From June to September the beach runs as an organised one, with a lifeguard and yellow buoys, and that is a separate restriction on top. The best months are June and September-October.
tide
Level plays no part at all here: no strait, no cape, no known current, just an open gentle shore. What you count is wind setup and the alongshore drift — with a southerly you get pulled along the beach and slide away from the buoy without noticing. After downpours a fresh murky layer lies on top.
shelter
This is the head of the gulf under the Taygetos foothills: land shuts off N and NW, and the meltemi barely reaches. But the shore faces SW and is open along the whole length of the gulf, so S and SW build wave here unobstructed. There is no cape or island nearby to give you cover.
conditions
Diveable in the morning calm and with N-NE: 2-15 m, pebble and rock, the water stays clear. With S or SW from about 5 m/s the place switches off, it is shallow, the pebble lifts and visibility drops to a metre. After heavy rain the Taygetos torrents send muddy fresh water down, give it a couple of days.
hazard
The beach is organised: sunbeds, lifeguard, water park, bars. Under the Kalamata port authority decision 14/22-05-2026, from June to September fishing by any means is banned inside the yellow buoys and for 100 m outside them. Add swimmers, jet-skis and boats: without a buoy of your own you have no business here.
access
A few kilometres SE of Kalamata on the coast road, parking right by the tavernas, entry over white pebble — it does not get easier. But to hunt, go further: walk south past the last bar to the rocky pocket by the small jetty, where there are no swimmers and the rock starts.
Pebble and rock 2–15 m, shore; 6 km SE of town, easy. Coords approx.
First light: the morning is calm and the breeze arrives after midday. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May. In July-August Kalogria is packed and runs as an organised beach, so go on out to the capes. June and September-October are better; over the springs the water is cold even in August, so bring a thicker suit.
tide
Sea level is beside the point here; the water moves from below. Groundwater discharges are visible across the bay, the largest about 100 m offshore, where two strong springs come out of fissures in the bedrock at roughly 25 m. After winter rain and snowmelt on Taygetos they run far stronger and the top layer turns murky.
shelter
The bay faces west with Taygetos rising straight behind it. The mountain shuts off N and NE completely, so in the meltemi it is calm here, but the same mountain drops sudden gusts on you. The capes and reefs south of Kardamyli break the wave in pieces, while S and SW walk into the bay unobstructed.
conditions
Diveable with N and NE and in calm; the water really is clear here. With S or SW from about 5 m/s the bay switches off. And separately: even in dead calm the visibility lies — fresh water from the bottom springs makes a shimmering blurred layer, the picture wobbles even though the water itself is clean.
hazard
The springs are the main thing here: at the fresh-salt boundary your buoyancy changes sharply and the picture blurs, so losing your reference around 25 m is easy. The caves at Foneas run under overhangs — not a place to go alone. Add boats and swimmers: keep 200 m from where people normally swim out to.
access
45 km from Kalamata on the coast road. Park at Kalogria or Stoupa; entry over pebble and rock is easy. The main spring is about 100 m off the waterline; to reach the capes and the reef ridge the locals call the Potamos ledges you have to walk further along the shore or come in by boat.
Mani capes and reefs S of Kardamyli; sea bream and grouper, clear water.
Dawn, before the breeze gets up. Spearfishing is banned across Greece for the whole of May, and at night too. The village is tiny, 18 permanent residents, so there is no crowd in any month; June and September-October are best. From 14:00 to 17:00 jet-skis are banned between Cape Kaltetsi and Cape Akritas — outside those hours they run.
tide
Level does not count, it is a handful of centimetres. What does work: a flow runs along the steep wall and speeds up round Cape Kaltetsi, where the water is colder too. The whole Mani coast is karst, so cold slightly milky patches at the foot of the rock are normal; I found no measurements for Trahila specifically.
shelter
The village sits in a small cove on the eastern shore of the gulf, under the Mani ridge. The mountain covers N and NW, so in the meltemi it is quiet here, but gusts fall off that same mountain. The shore is rock and faces west: S and SW arrive head-on and there is nowhere along this stretch to hide.
conditions
Diveable with N and NE, best on a glassy morning: clear water is something you can count on here. With S or SW don't come at all, and it is not the wave out deep that stops you but the entry and exit: the rock is sharp, the surge hits it straight on, and climbing out alone becomes a problem.
hazard
The bottom drops away right off the rock: depth builds faster than it looks, and on the way up that is what an error costs you. There are caves and overhangs in the wall — do not go inside. Entry and exit are over sharp, salt-crusted slabs and they are slippery. There is almost nobody around, so diving alone here is genuinely dangerous.
access
55 km SE of Kalamata, about fifteen minutes south of Agios Nikolaos, on a narrow road. Leave the car by the tiny jetty; entry is over rock, so wear boots. Stay 200 m off the jetty and anchored boats. Along the road northwest towards Agios Dimitrios there are wild rocky entries with nobody on them.
Mani fishing village with rocky shore and caves; sea bream and octopus, steep bottom.
SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.
One morning glance — and you know.
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≈
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live
Look at the water right now.
Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».
connecting to the stream…
Kalamata — Kalamata seafront, Messinian Gulf (meteocam.gr)meteocam.gr (Cybex) live — Kalamata seafront, Messinian Gulf. Embedded via our proxy (the stream sends no CORS). Read the water and surf before you go.camera: meteocam ↗
National minimum sizes + a 150 g floor (in the table below); grouper 1/day. Spearfishing is closed all May (ΠΔ 373/1985).
In season now
common dentex
Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · min 150 g
Premier reef target. No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Ethical ≥40 cm (not law).
white seabream
Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · EU 1967/2006
gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · EU 1967/2006
European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · EU 1967/2006
common octopus
Octopus vulgaris · 0–15 m · weight ≥750 g
Minimum by weight: ≥750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Don't take egg-bearing females.
dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
red porgy
Pagrus pagrus · 15–40 m · EU 1967/2006
saddled seabream
Oblada melanura · 3–15 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
greater amberjack
Seriola dumerili · 5–30 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
leerfish / garrick
Lichia amia · 2–20 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
Mediterranean barracuda
Sphyraena viridensis · 3–25 m · min 150 g
No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Histamine: bleed and chill at once.
flathead grey mullet
Mugil cephalus · 0–8 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
striped seabream
Lithognathus mormyrus · 2–15 m · EU 1967/2006
brown meagre / corb
Sciaena umbra · 5–30 m · EU 1967/2006
striped red mullet
Mullus surmuletus · 3–30 m · EU 1967/2006
white grouper
Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
goldblotch grouper
Epinephelus costae · 10–35 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
wreckfish / stone bass
Polyprion americanus · 30–60 m · EU 1967/2006
Deep wreck species. Does NOT count toward the grouper limit (different genus). 45 cm — to verify.
Mediterranean parrotfish
Sparisoma cretense · 2–20 m · min 150 g
Eastern-Med delicacy (Crete/Dodecanese). No EU size — the 150 g minimum only.
devil firefish (lionfish)
Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
⚠️ Invasive — removal encouraged, excellent flesh. Venomous spines: never grab bare-handed, cut the spines, treat a sting with hot water (>45 °C).
silver-cheeked toadfish
Lagocephalus sceleratus · 5–40 m · invasive
☠️ Invasive — kill, but DO NOT EAT: deadly toxin (TTX). Sale banned (Reg. 853/2004, Annex III Sect. VIII Ch. V(E)). Powerful beak bites — never string it live on a stringer.
Law
✓⚠️ MAY — a TOTAL spearfishing ban for the whole month, every year (ΠΔ 373/1985, art. 3§1α). This is law in force, not a draft.
✓No licence required: the was abolished in 2014 (Ν. 4256/2014) — every standing prohibition stays in force all the same.
•Recreational-fisher registry (ΟΣΠΑ / Μητρώο Ερασιτεχνών Αλιέων): Reg. (EU) 2023/2842 obliges member states to register recreational fishing, and the Greek registry is described as being prepared. We found neither an act in force nor a working registry as of 08.2026 — not confirmed. Check gov.gr before you travel.
✓Age: 16+ (under-16 spearfishing is forbidden; ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1γ).
✓Daytime only: sunrise to sunset. Night is forbidden (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1β).
✓Freediving only: scuba/any air-supply apparatus is banned — it may not even be carried aboard (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2γ).
✓Distances: ≥200 m from bathers, harbours, moored vessels and marked nets; no hunting in fairways or harbour entrances/exits (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1δ/ε).
✓Buoy MANDATORY: a yellow float + a yellow flag with a red diagonal stripe and the letters «Υ.Δ.», visible from ≥300 m; stay within 50 m of the buoy (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§3).
✓Limit: 5 kg/day (or one trophy heavier than the limit). Grouper (Epinephelus) — max 1/day, not banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 2§2).
✓Sale/trade of the recreational catch is prohibited (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§7).
✓Load the speargun only in the water — never keep it loaded out of the water (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2β). Underwater light while hunting is forbidden (art. 3§2ζ).
✓Sea urchins — 20/day per person and 30/day per boat (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 2§2). Nets at any stage of the hunt are banned, and you may not take the catch out of somebody else's gear or nets (art. 3§2). Sponges and corals are off limits to the recreational fisher (art. 1§6).
✓Pneumatic and band guns are ALLOWED (a myth in English guides). Only spears with an explosive/chemical charge — — are banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2δ).
Min. sizes: seabass 25 cm · gilthead 20 cm · white seabream 23 cm · grouper 45 cm · octopus 750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Any fish — not under 150 g (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2στ). No-size species (dentex, amberjack, barracuda, parrotfish) — the 150 g minimum only. See the species card.
Safety protocol
Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Local guide · Kalamata
Spearfishing in Kalamata: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
Spearfishing in Kalamata starts with the Messenian Gulf: deep water close inshore, stable clear water and low swell near the gulf head, with exposure increasing toward the mouth. The Mani side adds rocky points, caves and islets such as Meropi, while Cape Akritas is the listed current and swell danger. Local targets include seabass, leerfish, octopus, white seabream and dentex. The Greek baseline is firm: May is closed, the old licensing track stopped producing new permits in 2014, spearing is done on breath-hold, and the day normally ends at 5 kg.
TL;DR
Kalamata spearfishing is Messenian Gulf work: deep water close to shore, stable clear water and low swell near the gulf head.
Local notes spots are Kitries cape, Mikri Mantineia, Koroni castle point, Kardamyli (Meropi), Stoupa and Trahila.
Kalamata's spring window excludes May, because ΠΔ 373/1985 makes that whole month a Greek nationwide spearfishing closure.
For open months, the legal frame is breath-hold only, no new Greek spearfishing licence since 2014, 5 kg/day, and no more than 1 Epinephelus grouper.
Where can you spearfish in Kalamata?
Kalamata's source gives place descriptions rather than safety scores, so the table leaves ratings alone. The gulf head is calm, exposure rises toward the mouth, and Cape Akritas to the SW is the stated current and swell danger. Mani points are rock, islets, caves and steep bottom close to shore.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Mikri Mantineia
Pebble and rock near town
Shallow pebble and rock band
Easy
Shore
The source calls it easy and places it SE of town. It is the simplest shore line in this list.
Koroni castle point
Rocky point under a Venetian castle
Rock dropping from the point
-
Shore or boat
On the SE gulf. The description states current at the tip.
Kardamyli (Meropi)
Mani islet off Kardamyli
Deep water close inshore
-
Shore or boat where access allows
The source lists white seabream and dentex on rock, with depth close to shore.
✓Full ban on taking: Pinna nobilis (πίννα), corals and sponges (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§6 + Habitats Directive 92/43).
✓Invasives: taking the lionfish (λεοντόψαρο) is encouraged — ⚠️ venomous spines. The silver-cheeked toadfish (λαγοκέφαλος) ☠️ DO NOT EAT — deadly toxin (TTX), sale banned (Reg. 853/2004, Annex III Sect. VIII Ch. V(E)), it bites. The rabbitfish (γερμανός) is edible — venomous spines.
✓In ANY declared underwater archaeological site, and in the submerged historic sites, spearfishing is BANNED — the act names ψαροντούφεκο in so many words (ΚΥΑ ΥΠΠΟ/ΓΔΑΠΚ/ΑΡΧ/Α1/Φ41/11228/1865, ΦΕΚ 336/Β/2004, part Α §2 δ + part Β). It reaches the sites our map does not draw, too. Do not touch antiquities (Ν. 3028/2002). Map of the zones — the ENALIA geoportal (thalchor-2.ypen.gov.gr/layers/geonode:ENALIA).
•The national marine parks of Alonissos/N. Sporades and Zakynthos (Laganas): spearfishing is BANNED in the park. But Alonissos zone Β4 is not solid — ΦΕΚ 1741/Β/2011 reopened four stretches inside it (the N shore Αγ. Δημήτριος–Άκρο Απύθμενο, Μηλιά–Σπαρτίνες, όρμος Κλήμα on Περιστέρα, the Μεγάλος Αδελφός shore), while the same act creates the ΕΕΑΧ Περιστέρας, where fishing IS banned. Our layer paints the park whole, i.e. stricter than the act. Check the limits with the park authority.
•The Southern Kynouria/Arcadia diving park: Ν. 4688/2020 establishes underwater parks, but we have not read a spearfishing prohibition inside it in the act — we treat that as NOT PROVEN rather than as confirmed. The park's boundary is not on our map either (the act publishes no coordinates). Ask the Leonidio/Tyros λιμεναρχείο before you go.
•Local bans: on top of the national rules, every port authority issues its own (ΓΚΛ/ΕΚΛ and λιμενάρχης decisions). In the ΛΣ-ΕΛ.ΑΚΤ registry we counted ~163 of them that reach a speargun, across 48 ports — our map does NOT draw them. Check your own port: alieia.hcg.gr/prohibitions/local/local17.php.
•Locally STRICTER than the national rule: Corfu (Kerkyra) — from 01.04 to 31.10 spearfishing is banned within 200 m of the shore, even where nobody is swimming (απόφαση Λ/Χ Κέρκυρας 2141.1/2939/2024, ΦΕΚ Β΄3269/2024). In practice that closes shore entry on Corfu for the season. We read the act in the registry, not in the ΦΕΚ — confirm with the λιμεναρχείο.
•Locally STRICTER: Lefkada — 300 m instead of 200, and not only the speargun: ψαροντούφεκο, nets and longlines are banned within 300 m of those sea areas, beaches and shores of the port district THAT ARE USED BY BATHERS (απόφαση Λ/Χ Λευκάδας 2131.13/1477/2022, in its own words «όπου χρησιμοποιούνται από λουόμενους»). The act ran to 30.09.2022 and we found no extension; an expired act is not proof that the ban is gone. Ask the Lefkada λιμεναρχείο.
•Locally STRICTER: Symi — from 15.06 to 15.09 fishing BY ANY MEANS is banned within 200 m of beach areas and in inhabited coastal areas WHERE BATHERS ARE PRESENT OR GATHER (απόφαση Λ/Χ Σύμης 2131.13/882/2016). Separately, year-round: fishing by any means is banned inside the port and its sea zone, except line/rod fishing from land (ΓΚΛ Σύμης, art. 151, ΦΕΚ 362/Β/2004). The acts were copied from the registry, not checked against the ΦΕΚ.
•Locally: inside the ports of Lavrio and Kea spearfishing is banned across the WHOLE port water, not merely under the 200 m rule; separately, in front of the hotel beaches (ΓΚΛ Λαυρίου, art. 240, ΦΕΚ 460/Β/1978). The act was copied from the registry, not checked against the ΦΕΚ.
•Coming: two new national marine parks are being created (Ionian + South Cyclades, ~27,500 km²). NOT yet in force (ΠΔ under review, mid-2026). Once live — a trawl ban + a seasonal coastal closure 15.04–31.05; in the strict zones spearfishing will be banned. Check before the season.
⛔ Pinna nobilis (πίννα, fan mussel) — full ban on taking/killing (Habitats Dir. 92/43 Annex IV; critically endangered).
Rules change, and the local Λιμεναρχείο (port authority) may impose local restrictions. Before heading out, check the current rules and the declared archaeological zones (ENALIA).
How is the water visibility in Kalamata today?
No live visibility reading is provided for Kalamata. The source describes stable clear water, deep water close to shore and low swell near the Messenian Gulf head. Toward the mouth and Cape Akritas, exposure plus current or swell risk increase.
What fish can you spearfish on the Mani coast?
The Kalamata profile lists seabass, leerfish, octopus, white seabream and dentex. Mani notes add grouper at Stoupa, white seabream and dentex at Meropi, and white seabream with octopus at Trahila. Legal sizes include seabass 25 cm, white seabream 23 cm, grouper 45 cm and octopus 750 g. The Epinephelus daily cap is 1 fish.
When is the best time to spearfish in the Messinian gulf?
Kalamata is marked for spring and autumn in the local notes. The gulf is outside the main meltemi exposure, with a calmer head and a more exposed mouth, but weather still matters near Cape Akritas. Remove May from the spring side of that answer; Greek law closes spearfishing for the full month.
Do you need a license to spearfish in Greece?
Kalamata uses the same Greek national paperwork position as the islands. You do not need the former licence, and since 2014 new spearfishing licences have not been issued. Check gov.gr before leaving because the free ΟΣΠΑ recreational-fisher registry is being introduced until 31.12.2026. The method is freediving only; scuba or any air-supply apparatus is banned even aboard. The daily ceiling is 5 kg, with the one-heavier-trophy exception, and Epinephelus grouper is capped at 1/day.
FAQ
Where can you spearfish in Kalamata?
The local notes spots are Kitries cape, Mikri Mantineia, Koroni castle point, Kardamyli (Meropi), Stoupa and Trahila. Near town, Mikri Mantineia is the easy shore line in the source.
Do you need a license to spearfish in Greece?
No. For Kalamata, the former licence is not required and Greece has issued no new spearfishing licences since 2014. Check gov.gr before travel for the ΟΣΠΑ recreational-fisher registry.
Is spearfishing banned in May in Greece?
Yes. Even though Kalamata has a spring season note, ΠΔ 373/1985 removes the entire month of May from Greek spearfishing every year.
What is the daily catch limit for spearfishing in Greece?
The national bag limit is 5 kg/day. A single heavier trophy can exceed it, but Epinephelus grouper is still restricted to 1 fish per day.
Is scuba spearfishing allowed in Greece?
No. The Mani and Messenian Gulf spots are legal only for freediving spearfishing; scuba or another breathing apparatus is banned even aboard.
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