Vrisses

The cave of Kera Spiliotisa is located at Flomes position by Vrysses. The area is very tough to reach due to lush vegetation and the narrow entrance of the cave is not easily seen. It is located next to the area where archaeologists position the ancient town Pergamos or Polichna. Therefore the French archaeologist Paul Faure first explored it and found human bones and pottery sherds, thus supposed that the cave was religious.

The name Kera Spiliotissa means Cavernous Virgin Mary, even if there is no temple inside it. According to legend, during the Ottoman Occupation of Crete there was a secret temple in there. During the World War II, people from 40 local villages escaped into the cave and saved their lives from the German slaughters. There are 3 large rooms and 2 smaller ones that communicate with each other with very narrow passages that can hardly fit one person. Each room is actually a different level, therefore extreme attention should be paid when descending. There is no cave décor, apart from the last level. There are many bats, spiders, and cavernous insects.