Come to Cyprus and Dive
Off the coast of Cyprus, near the city of Larnaca, lies the wreck of the Swedish ferry MS Zenobia. The Zenobia was built and delivered in 1979, but it wasn't until the following spring that she would see her maiden voyage. Unfortunately, her maiden voyage would also be her last voyage.
The Zenobia sank on June 7th, 1980 after computer problems caused a malfunction in the ship's ballast system. Too much water was being pumped in, causing the ship to list at almost a 45° angle. When a request to tow her back to shore was denied, Zenobia was left to vanish under the water.
Legend has it that despite the loss of millions of dollars worth of cargo still in the ship, an investigation was never conducted and no insurance claims made. Regardless, Zenobia is among the top ten dive sites in the world, according to a 2003 ranking by The Times.
A Cyprus diving holiday would not be complete without a trip to the Zenobia. Two of the companies that offer dives are located in Paphos, where you can fly in via holiday charter or commercial airliner. Car hire Paphos airport will provide the transportation to your hotel, the dive centre, and anywhere else you'd like to go.
Zenobia isn't the only wreck available off the coast of Cyprus. Dive operators can also take you to the site of the Greek ship Achilleas, which exploded and sank in 1975. There's also the Vera K, a Lebanese vessel with a strange history.
The Vera K ran aground in shallow water off the coast of Paphos. The Cypriot military decided to use it for target practice until it was deemed unsafe in 1974. At that point it was demolished with explosives, creating an underwater crater which now holds the debris.
With your car hire from the Paphos airport you can take a drive down to Larnaca and hook up with an expedition visiting the site of the HMS Cricket. This boat was a British gunboat build in 1915. After service in both World Wars, the Cricket was decommissioned and used for target practice until her remains were sunk in 1942.
The list of dive sites goes on with plenty of places were the attraction isn't a wreck, but rather the natural surroundings of the underwater world. See Coral Bay Harbour, Cynthiana Beach, Manijin Island , St. Georges Harbour, St. Georges Island, and White River; all within easy travel distance of almost any hotel on the island.
When you're finally all dived out, return your car hire to the Paphos airport and board your plane for home. You'll leave behind one of your best holidays ever. Hopefully, you took lots of photos.