Pavlopetri

ARCH’s Pavlopetri project began at the start of 2014 after locals in the town of Neapolis, Greece, reached out for strategic advice on how to safeguard their local submerged archeological site, once a bustling port city, known as Pavlopetri. According to UNESCO, Pavlopetri is the world’s oldest sunken city.

Located in shallow waters it is a beloved tourist attraction. ARCH, through years of dedicated commitment to saving Pavlopetri, has reached many milestones towards the sunken city’s protection. Among them are an annual “Watch Day” event to raise awareness around the historic site, with guided snorkeling tours and family activities, the monitoring of ships who anchor illegally and threaten the long term survival of the ruins, and the official placement of the underwater archaeological site on maritime maps. 

In Greece, ARCH’s mission is to continue to hold an annual Watch Day to make the site more known, to fundraise so that a boardwalk can be built, while closely working with local environmental groups in an effort to save the endangered species of the pristine water of Pavlopetri, including the loggerhead turtles! From this project we learned about the strong connection between cultural preservation and environmental protection, and how much stronger our respective organizations can be when we join forces.