This cave is located on the hill of St. George, in the same position of the old limestone quarry. It was discovered by chance in 1925 by George Pavlidis who found one of the two entrances to the cave while digging in the quarry. Many stalactites and stalagmites were destroyed by young people who broke them while playing or by workers who used the stalactites and stalagmites in the construction of fountains and fireplaces. The first mapping of the cave took place in 1960 by Anna Petrocheilou (the President of the Greek Speleological Society back then) while its restoration began in 1977 and lasted until 1982. The cave opened to public in 1985.
The length of its corridors is about 300 meters and it covers an area of more than 1000m². The temperature is 15 - 17 degrees Celsius all year round and the humidity level is 95%. It is characterized by high ceilings and narrow corridors. This unique cave is comprised of two floors and it has six rooms with coral formations –a rare sight in caves. The colors of the walls are attributed to iron and aluminum oxides, manganese and magnesium.
Also, the cave is of great paleontological interest as tour guide and speleologist Vassilis Makridis found more than 300 samples of fossils of animal bones in good condition. The bones belong to hyenas, foxes, ferrets, wild oxen, small and big horses, giant deer and red deer and they are 15.000 years old.
Furthermore, research by Czech scientists proved that the atmosphere in the cave can treat children asthma and dermatological diseases. This is because the heat of the air, the humidity, the non-existence of ozone in the cave, the absence of microorganisms, the radioactive particles, the absence of dust, the small droplets of moisture, the presence of calcium and magnesium as well as the high levels of CO2 can help breathing.
Open Hours
- Tuesday - Friday: 09:00 - 14:00
- Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 - 14:00 & 16:00 - 18:00
Tickets
- General admission: 5€
- Children, University students & groups : 2€
