⭐ Travel Guide for Island Crete ⛵, Greece❗

The existence of numerous caves is inextricably linked to the rugged topography of Crete. People lived in caves thousands of years ago, as evidenced by the prehistoric carvings in the cave Skordilakia by Asfendou. Moreover, today's religious tradition in the caves, which hosts cavernous chapels, is an evolution of the worship of ancient gods inside caves.

Originally, the Minoans worshipped their major deities, such as Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, in caves. Later, they placed the birth and upbringing of the king of the gods, Zeus, in the Diktaean and Idaean caves, turning them into important religious centers. During the Byzantine era, caves which according to tradition hosted Saints, such as Saint Paul, Gerasimos and John Xenos, were converted to important ascetic communities. Many pages of Cretan history were also written in the caves of Crete, such as the massacres in the caves of Melidoni, Milatos, Krionerida, Xotikospilios and Tigani at Gramvousa.

Many caves are of very high speleological and ecological significance. Caves with rich decoration which are open to visitors are the Diktaean Cave by Psychro, Gerontospilios by Melidoni and Sfendonis by Zoniana. Besides the caves of religious or historical value, Crete has more than 4.500 mapped caves and sinkholes, available to each experienced speleologist who wants to enjoy their rich decoration and fauna. Areas that host a large number of caves, ideal for cavers, is mount Stroumboulas by Heraklion, the Geopark of Sitia, the Geopark of Psiloritis and Melidoni area in the White Mountains. The three deepest explored sinkholes in Greece are all located in Crete.

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Peristeras Cave at Limnakaro

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The cave of Peristeras is located at the northwestern edge of Limnakaro plateau, south of the village Avrakontes. It was found that in the Middle Minoan period it was user for funerary purposes. Today, the great entrance of the cave is blocked by giant rocks, hindering the tour in the cave.

Ano Peristeras Cave

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The Cave Ano Peristeras is one of the many underground rivers of the area of Karidi, Sitia province. It is located at an altitude of 650 meters, the length of routes exceed 5500m and its depth exceeds 220m.

Dadoulas Cave at Vrysidi

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The Cave Dadoulas or Maxime is an underground river at Dadoulas area by Vrysidi settlement. It has a total routes’ length of 760m, depth of 260m and ends at a siphon (well). It has very rich decor and is characterized as a "living museum of the geological history” of the region.

Trapeza Cave at Tylissos

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The Trapeza Cave has been used as a place of worshiping, something that is certified by the innumerous conches on its ground but also by its flat which is in front of the entrance which both are dated from the middle-Minoan era until the after-Minoan. The most important findings of the cave are two idols of men in worshiping position.

Oxo Latsidi Cave

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At position Patelia, about 1 km NW of Sitanos we meet the large cave of Oxo Latsidi, formed in Jurassic limestone. It was originally accessible for 50m. It was later studied by Paul Faure and mapped by Eleftherios Platakis and Ioannis Tsifetakis, who found a long tunnel 360m long. After the entrance we meet a room (34m x 16m) and a chamber on the right (32m). On the left, for 330m extends the tunnel with a width of 2-8 m and a height from 0.5m-1.5m. Recent surveys give the cave a longer length of up to 1.000 m. The different flows of water give the impression that it was once an underground riverbed. Generally the decoration is poor.

Hamoto Spiliari Cave

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A few meters south of the entrance of cave Chainospilios, we meet the cave Hamoto Spiliari (i.e. Low-roof Cave), which has a length of 32 meters, a maximum width of 6 meters and a height of 6 meters. It is a very small cave, but it has its charm and deserves being explored!

Anonym Cave, Tylissos

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The Anonym Cave of Tylissos is located 16 km west of Heraklion, about 1 km before reaching Voulismeno Aloni, at an altitude of 250 meters. It was revealed in 2010 during the works for the new road connecting Tylissos with Anogia.

Chonos Cave at Sitanos

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The cave Chonos Sitanos is a sinkhole near Sitanos where there are many caves. The total length of the routes in the cave is 400m and the maximum depth is 94m.

Caves

Diktaean

Bats

Caving

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