Greece has over 8,500 caves to boast of. All of them are monuments to nature, filled with charm and mystery.

Melissani Cave

Melissani cave in Kefalonia, an island in the Ionian Sea, with its sky-blue lake was traditionally the home of the nymphs. Legend has it that the nymph Melissanthi drowned herself here over unrequited love for god Pan. Archaeologist Spyros Marinatos even discovered a shrine dedicated to Pan here.

Hauntingly beautiful with a number of natural sculptures by countless of stalactites, it also constitutes a unique geological phenomenon created by water erosion of calcerous rocks.

The cave was rediscovered in 1951 by Greek speleologist Giannis Petrocheilos and is considered a geological phenomenon. In 1962 it was proven that the cave communicated with the underground network of the island.

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Kastania Cave

The Guardian cast the spotlight of Greece’s “unique and amazing caves along with a tourist attraction, once popularized by the Romans.” The focus was on the cave at Kastania, on the southern tip of the Peloponnese in the Municipality of Monemvasia, discovered by Kostas Stivaktas in the early 1900s. The farmer discovered the cave after reputedly watching bees entering. He noticed that they appeared to be refreshed as they remerged from the ground. After opening the fissure from where the bees entered and exited he beheld a magnificent site. In 1958, the cave became known to the wider public and has since then become a protected area.

Experts say that the unusual and unique formations of stalactites and stalagmites of the cave have taken three million years to form. It is open to the public every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in summer. For more info and tours, call 27340-29043 or 27340-23623

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Diros Cave

The famous Alepotripa and Vlichada caves are located in Pirgos Diros in Mani in the Peloponnese. They were explored by the speleologists Ioannis and Anna Petrochilos. The Alepotrypa cavern was discovered in 1958. Archaeological research begun in 1970 under the direction of archaeologist Georgios Papathanassopoulos. In the course of the late Neolithic period (4000 – 3000 BC), the cave was extensively used as shelter, dwelling, workshop, storage place for goods, cemetery and a place of worship.

Human skeletons were found on the surface, showing that the entombment did not take place, leading archaeologist Papathanassopoulos to conclude that these Neolithical people died suddenly during a strong earthquake that caused huge rockslides in the area.

The cave of Blychada covers a large 16,700 square meter area. 2,800 water passageways have been explored. Visitors can take a 40-minute boat ride through a 2.5-kilometer-long winding passageway and enjoy an intricate network of passages and galleries that are decorated with gleaming stalactites and stalagmites.

Other caves 

ACHAIA – Cave of the Lakes, Neraidotrypa Cave

AETOLOAKARNANIA – Cyclopes Cave

ATTICA – Agia Sofia Cave, Bekiri Cave, Cave of Euripides, Davelis Cave, Peania Cave

CHANIA – Arkouditsa Cave, Zoures and Charakas Caves

CHIOS – Olympi Cave, the Cave of Agio Gala

CORFU – Grava Gardikiou, Ipapanti Sea Cave, Trypa tou Pelaou

CYCLADES – Black Cave, Chivaldolimni Cave, Georgitsis Cave, Koutala Cave, Papafragka Cave, Sea Caves, Sykia, Za Cave

DODECANESE – Agios Ioannis Cave, Apokalipsi Cave, Aspri Petra Cave, Charkadio Cave, Daskalio Cave, Ellinokamara Cave, Ghalazio Cave, Kefala Cave, Poseidonas Cave, Selai Cave

DRAMA – Aggitis Cave

EVIA – Evia Caves

HALKIDIKI – Petralona Cave

HERAKLION – Agia Paraskevi Cave, Caves in Heraklion Prefecture, Elithyia Cave, Kamares Kave Kamaron Cave

IMATHIA – Imathia Caves

IOANNINA – Perama Cave, Pramanton Cave

KASTORIA – The Cave

KAVALA – Drakotripa Cave

KEFALONIA – Drogarati Cave, Loizos Cave, Nymphs Cave, Sakkos Cave

KILKIS – The Cave of Agios Georgios, Two-Storey Cave on Aghios Georgios Hill

KOZANI – Skoteino Cave

LACONIA – Kastania Cave

LASSITHI – Diktaean Cave, Milatos Cave, Trapeza Cave

MAGNESIA – Kentavros Heronas Cave, Terasties Caves, Tripitis Cave

MESSINIA – Katafigio Cave

PREVEZA – Caves (Parga)

RETHYMNO – Gerani Cave, Idaion Antro, Melidoni Cave, Sfendoni Cave

RODOPI – Cyclops Cave

SERRES – Alistrati Cave

ZAKYNTHOS – Galazies Spilies (Blue Caves)