Sapientza Island

Sapientza: The small island of Messinia with impressive shipwrecks and the deepest point in the Mediterranean.

Although uninhabited, it is located on a maritime route of great importance since antiquity, and features a historic lighthouse.

The small islands off the south and west coasts of Messinia do not seem like much at first glance – and thus escape mass attention. However, they hide their own surprises, with Sapientza being the most characteristic example among them.

Sapientza belongs to the so-called Messinian Oinousses and is located off the southwest coast of Messinia, directly opposite Methoni. The waters of the area are considered part of the Ionian Sea. The island's area is 9 sq. km. and contrary to what most people believe, it is not permanently uninhabited: lighthouse keepers resided there until 1986.

The name Sapientza is of Italian origin and means "wisdom". This leads us to 1209, when it came under the control of the Venetians, who we know used the island as an anchorage for their fleet.

In modern times, it became part of Greece after the successful outcome of the 1821 Revolution.

The Rich Marine World of Sapientza

Sapientza is located on a maritime route that had great commercial interest since antiquity, connecting Italy with the Middle East.

At the same time, it was a difficult area, full of strong sea currents, powerful winds, and difficult rocks. As a result, several shipwrecks occurred on the coasts and off the island, some of which are considered important from an archaeological point of view.

One of the most famous among them is the ship that (we believe) was transporting the columns from the large peristyle built by Herod in Caesarea of Palestine (1st century AD). Nowadays, it is known as the "shipwreck of the columns" and has been located at a depth of 10 meters, near Cape Spitha.

The Unique Nature

It is famous for the arbutus forest, which is unique in Europe as the trees there reach a height of 10-12 meters. In the center of the island is an area called "Spartolakka", where the soil is formed by fossilized pollen.

The Iconic Lighthouse

The importance of Sapientza for shipping routes continued to be great during the 19th century, when it was decided to enlist the technological progress of the time to address the issue of frequent shipwrecks in its sea area.

In 1885, following an important request from Queen Victoria of England, an 8-meter high lighthouse was built at the southern point of the island, which for its time was one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean: its mirrors were illuminated by asbestos lamps and the luminosity reached 25 nautical miles.

The Calypso Deep

Beyond Sapientza, in the open waters stretching 6 nautical miles southwest of it, lies the deepest point of the entire Mediterranean: it is called the "Well of Oinousses" or Calypso Deep and is estimated to descend to 5,269 meters – with the old measurements verified in 2020, thanks to an expedition that included Prince Albert II of Monaco (who reached the bottom in a submersible).

In fact, the underwater telescope "Nestor" has been installed in the Deep, searching for neutrinos in our effort to collect information about the distant past (and future) of the planet. The reason for this is that such depths are considered free from cosmic radiation.

How to get there

The only way to access Sapientza is by speedboat from Methoni. In Methoni, the boat AMMOS will be waiting for you, with which in the summer months you can visit Sapientza and swim in the crystal-clear waters of Ammos beach.