El Greco Cave

El Greco Cave sits on the exposed north-facing cliff at the tip of the Agia Pelagia peninsula, wide open to the Cretan Sea. The dominant threat is the summer Meltemi, which blows from the N-NNW-NNE straight onto this coast with a long open-water fetch, so the whole northern sector (NNW through NNE) is fully exposed and builds the surface chop and swell that shut the site down. The NE and ENE are only lightly softened by distant Dia island offshore, while the E and ESE are progressively cut by the peninsula's own north-east headland. Everything from the SE round through S to WSW is blocked by the bulk of Crete and the peninsula immediately to landward, so southerly weather leaves the site flat. The W and WNW are partly shadowed by the peninsula's western cape before opening back up to the NW. Because the dive is inside the rock, once you are in the cave the sea state matters mainly for the boat entry, exit and the exposed wall descent.