Enthusiasts of this sport will not be disappointed by the sheer number of places Crete offers to explore. At last count the Greek Speleological Society had recorded over 3,000 caves in Crete. Not only are they astounding feats of nature, captivating in their own dark and mysterious way, they are also points of great archaeological and historical significance to the island.
You’ll need to take a boat across to visit this stunning cave. Afternoon is the best time for exploring as the sun shines into the cave at an angle that turns the water incredible shades of aquamarine.
From the Church of Panagia Rodias, follow the path for a few minutes until you reach a fork in the road. Take the route towards the right and you will reach the rocky settlement of Agios Vlassis. From there you will be able to see the entrance to the small cave bearing the same name.
Once used as a temple to worship the goddess Aphrodite, this underground cave contains a number of archaeological artifacts dating back to 4000 BC. Just follow the steps that are carved into the stone to see this important site. Archaeologists offer guided tours in the summer.
The scene for the massacre of some 350 Greek men, women and children by the Turks, in the 1823, who blocked the entrance and lit a fire, suffocating those trapped inside. This is a tremendously moving spot and can be found a couple of kilometres north-west of the village of the same name.
This cave lies slightly east of the site of Eleutherna, close to the village of Kynigiana, as has a depth of some 150 metres.
The cave of Megalakkos lies just outside the village of Kleidi along the banks of the Voidomatis River. Excavations have unearthed human and animal bones dating back as early as 20,000 B.C. The cave is relatively small, with a height not surpassing 2 meters.
The cave where Zeus was supposedly brought-up lies just above the Nidra plateau. On its eastern flank of Mount Ida, at close to 1500m lies the Nida plateau and just above this, a cave, the ‘Ideon Andron’ (meaning an 'eating place for men'), where that greatest of all Greek gods Zeus was mythologically reared (he was, according to legend, born on Mt. Dikte in the province of Lasithi). It is worth visiting more for its mythological past than its speleological present.
All you spelunkers out there will be thrilled to know that Kalymnos is one of the most cave-rich islands in the Dodecanese. The limestone mountains throughout the island provided the perfect backdrop for the formation of caves – most of which you’ll have to explore on your own, so always be prepared and always ask the locals for tips and directions. And always visit caves with an experienced spelunker.
Close to Gerani beach, this cave's opening was blocked off for some 5,000 years, before being rediscovered in the 1960's. All archaeological finds therefore could be dated to the Neolithic and predate the period we know as 'Minoan'.