Caving

We all know about the magnificent ruins in Athens, the beautiful Greek beaches, and the charming villages. Not many tourists think about how wonderful Greece is below ground. Guess what? You should because Greece has over six thousand caves, with more waiting to be discovered. Many of these are spectacular enough to be open to the public.

Crete is the queen of Grecian cave sites, with about half of the known caves located on this large island. Many of them show signs of prehistoric and ancient use and habitation, and excavations have produced many votive objects, carved stone images, and other artifacts.

One of these caves sacred to Eileithyia is located just south of the village of Amnissos a few miles outside of Iraklio. The Cave of Ilithias is one of many dark, womblike caves associated with childbearing, and the cult of Eileithyia, a Cretan goddess of childbirth, persisted here. At one time, this cave was maintained as a regular tourist site complete with parking lot, but it now can only be accessed by requesting the key in the nearby village.

In the heart of Agios Nikolaos, there is a small cave that was used by members of the Resistance during the Nazi occupation of Crete. Some of the names of these brave men and women are chiseled into the rocks toward the rear of the cave, which is now a popular bar. No admission fee, though the proprietors naturally expect you to purchase a drink -at a slightly more expensive price than usual. Look for the neon sign saying “Cave Bar” opposite the restaurant-crammed cornice. This is definitely the easiest of the Cretan caves to reach.

The southwestern coast of Crete has many sea caves which can be explored. There is also the honeycomb of burial caves in the cliffs at Matala, and several impressive caves near Red Beach.

The birthplace of Zeus, originally a Cretan god, is located in the Diktaian Cave (also called Dikteon Andron) located just outside the village of Psirho, roughly between Iraklio and Agia Nikolaos. Locals will be happy to rent you a donkey for the journey to the cave. The descent is a steep one – wear good shoes, and a walking stick may also help.

Another Cretan cave also claims to be his birthplace of Zeus. This is the Idaion Cave in the Rethymno province. Some of the artifacts found in this cave are on exhibit the Iraklion Museum.

An easy-to-access,but still very dramatic cave is that of Saint Sophia, located south of Chania near the village and gorge of Topolia. It’s a great “starter cave”, accessible by steps, easy to go through, never completely dark due to is large entrance, and relatively unclaustrophobic.Great for you to start caving. There’s also a terrific traditional tavern just outside, offering views of the gorge.

A spectacular cave with amazing stalagmites and stalactites is located on the small island of Antiparos, just off of Paros.

In mainland Greece, the largest cave is located just outside Ioannina (also called Jannina, Yanina, and other variants). This cave, Perama, was formed by a subterranean river and includes numerous small lakes and a great variety of stalactite shapes. It is 4 km from Ioannina and is open all year round.

In Macedonia, the Petralona Cave provides electric lighting and has its own museum.On exhibit there are artifacts of very ancient human habitation. It’s located in Petralona Village.

Kids love caves! If all the museums and Greek culture seems like a little to much for them, visit a cave! They are caves all over Greece -we have tried to provide you with some links to the largest.Not all caves are electrically lit so you might need a flashlight and maybe even a sweater.

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