Discover the EDRO III shipwreck on the island of Cyprus
The history of EDRO III
In October 2011, the EDRO III left the Cyprus port of Limassol to head to the Greek island of Rhodes when it got caught in a severe storm. In total darkness, the ship’s crew fought rough waves and struggled for hours, unable to move forward towards the open sea. Suddenly, the voyage of EDRO III came to end when the ship became wedged in rocks close on the Cyprus shore. Luckily, all crew members were rescued, and the quick response of emergency services prevented massive sea pollution by removing all of the ship’s oil storage units before they leaked into the ocean. However, the ERDO III could not be recovered.
A picturesque photography opportunity
The EDRO III shipwreck, which roughly measures 95 meters in length and 15 meters in width, becomes more and more popular every day due to its easy-to-reach location and surrounding landscapes. Located right at the Cyprus shoreline outside the western side of the city of Peyia, the shipwreck can be visited 24 hours a day. The shipwreck itself is incredibly beautiful, but EDRO III is also located about 200 meters away from the Paphos Sea Caves, another beautiful landmark on Cyprus’ coastline. Funny enough, I was actually on the way home from visiting the sea caves when I accidentally discovered the EDRO III shipwreck on Google maps. (Make sure to put it on your bucket list when visiting the island!)
How to get to the EDRO III shipwreck
Getting to the shipwreck is fairly easy, but only for those who already know about it. There is no official advertising or sign pointing to the ship. During my visit, I discovered that the EDRO III has a GPS-tag on Google, which I was able to use to navigate towards the picturesque wreck. A few hundred meters northeast of the shipwreck, there is an official parking structure. However, Cyprus is a pretty relaxed country, so you can drive as close to the GPS tag as possible and park the car anywhere on the side of the road. All you need to do from there is follow a straight line towards the ocean.
Approaching the EDRO III shipwreck
Of course, the scenery of the surroundings differs according to the season of the year. During my visit in June, the area I crossed between the car rental agency and the oceanfront was covered with tall, yellow, dried out grass. Some may not think anything special about this, but it made the overall experience a very special one. Due to the height of the grass, I was not able to see the shipwreck at first.
It was only as I was slowly walking through the yellow fields, with my hands constantly touching the hip-high grass, did the shipwreck reveal itself in front of me. Since I spontaneously visited the shipwreck, I obviously did not do any research and, hence, did not know what to expect. Once I reached the highest point of the plateau, I stopped with my mouth open as a landscape, which can best be described in pictures, presented itself in front of me.
The landscape surrounding the shipwreck is out of this world
Scenery like that surrounding the EDRO III shipwreck is hard to describe. If there was one word I could use, it would be “perfection.” With a 12-degree angle, the wreck majestically sits on top of the rocks just a few meters in the water. The sea was very calm that day, so small waves gently knocked on the ship’s hull as a flock of seagulls passed over the decaying shell of the wreck. The water surrounding EDRO III is super shallow, which is why is sparkles in the most beautiful colors on sunny days.
Explore the underwater world around the shipwreck
Although there is no official beach located at the shipwreck, it is possible to find easy access to the water to cool off in the hot midday sun. Due to the waters’ clarity, you will have the best time snorkeling. The ground inside and outside the water is mainly rocks. On one hand, this keeps visibility in the water pretty clear due to a lack of sand being whirled up. On the other hand, this may increase the risk on injuries.
As mentioned, there is no obvious and easy way to get into the water, so gaining access can be a bit adventurous. Solid water shoes are definitely recommended. And let me tell you one thing: finding a spot to get into the water is so worth it! I discovered a place that even had a flat area located right at the water’s edge, which I used for tanning. If you don’t want to risk any injuries, there are a lot of areas nearby that provide pebble stone access.
A few words about restrictions
There is not really anything special to consider that usually applies to other places, such as restrictions on flying a drone for example. However, you are not allowed to touch the ship anymore. This may sound logical to most but it still happens a lot. Keep in the mind that the constant exposure to a partly rough ocean leads to a quick rate of decay, causing the ship to become more and more fragile. One day, parts of the ship will come off. Make sure that you never get too close to the ship.
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Thomas Später, PhD, is an experienced backpacking traveler that specializes in adventurous trips around the globe. He has traveled to remote and exotic places, such as Namibia or Mongolia and focuses on landscape and wildlife photography to share the beauty of our planet with others. In 2021, Thomas published a (German) book about Overpopulation and Over-consumption (Die Überbevölkerung). With his awareness of current global issues, he uses his travels to support particularly local hotels and restaurants to raise awareness for the nature and culture of his destinations. Follow Thomas´ adventures on Instagram as well as on his website, World In Frames.