Caves of Diros

The Cave of Diros is one of the finest caves in the world with a known length sor about 15 km. It is located on the west coast of the Laconian Peninsula. The route is enchanting, with a boat that accommodates around 6 people. It passes through various rooms filled with stalagmites and stalagmites in beautiful formations. Lighting highlights these beautiful sculptures created by nature. The route begins with a boat in magical waters, at some points 100 meters deep, ending with a small land route. Its existence has been known to the locals since around 1900. But no one suspected the miracle hiding inside until 1949, when the founders of the Greek Speleological Society, Giannis and Anna Petrocheilou began to explore systematically. Until 1960, 1,600 meters have been explored and mapped, while today the known length of the cave is over 15 kilometers. The 1970s underwent the first underwater exploration. At one point in the cave the depth reaches 100 meters. The cave began to form hundreds of thousands of years ago. The stalactites and stalagmites presently below the water were formed when the surface of the sea was far below its current level. The water inside is brackish and has a high hardness. Its temperature is about 14 ° C, with air ranging from 16 to 19 ° C. Its natural entrance has a diameter of only half a meter and is very close to the surface of the sea. In earlier times the cave had other entrances that were gradually closed. Inside the cave are found fossilized bones of panther, hyena, lion, deer, ferret and the largest hippopotamus in Europe. Close to its natural entrance, ceramics have been found indicating the human presence. At 220 m. East of Glyfada there is the Cave “Alepotrypa”. This Cave contains Petroglyphs.