Alistrati Cave
Alistrati Cave is located six kilometers southeast of the homonymous settlement, in the area called “Petroto.” The cave was discovered accidentally in 1959 by local residents and was opened to the public in 1998.
According to Greek mythology, the Angitis gorge (to which the cave belongs) was inhabited by the Sphinx. Another myth involving the god Hades and the abduction of Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, tells how the king of the underworld brought the girl here, to the gorge where the Gates of Hades were located.
The cave covers a total area of more than 25,000 square meters and has a length of about 3 km (explored passages), of which 1 km is accessible to visitors. The visit to the cave takes about 1 hour.
At the entrance of the cave, there is a beautiful vestibule with a height of 8 meters, from where various galleries start, featuring impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The main branches of the cave extend to the left and right of the entrance, beginning with a large hall 60 meters wide, 100 meters long, and 20-30 meters high.
As visitors progress, the “decor” becomes richer, revealing rare cave formations such as stalactite “curtains,” cave pearls, red stalactites up to 15 meters high, and others. Other halls with heights of 8-10 meters follow the main hall. To the right of the main hall, a second corridor begins, almost parallel to the one open for visits. The cave also has countless levels and passages that have not yet been explored and mapped.
Due to the small thickness of the overlying layers (10-30 meters), the temperature in the cave is relatively high (15-17°C). Because of limited ventilation and good water supply, the temperature remains at these levels year-round. Regarding humidity, the highest levels are recorded in spring, ranging from 95-105%. This decreases slightly in the summer. The unique microclimate has been formed here over millennia. It is crucial to note that it is very fragile, and human intervention can lead to irreversible consequences and the destruction of natural formations. Yet, it takes nature 100 years to build a 2 mm stalactite. The Alistrati Cave ecosystem is of great interest to biologists due to the large number of bats (7 species) and several endemic organisms and microorganisms.
Opening hours: Daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
