Skotino Cave
Skotino Cave
4.5
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4.5
112 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
29
Average
13
Poor
0
Terrible
2
charloth98
78 contributions
Aug 2021
This cave is free to visit. it is in a secluded place and you are led to it by means of a path. We found this cave impressive and we walked down, but it didn't seem wise to us to go further into the cave unaccompanied. Furthermore it was very quiet, we were the only ones here.
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Murray
London, UK94 contributions
May 2022
Worth a visit, very 'untouristy' which is a positive in itself. Wear good shoes, be prepared to tackle a steep & roughish way down into the cave (and back up again) but it's worth it. We had a 2 year old with us so didn't go too deep, if you're freer than we were do ensure you have a good torch as there is no lighting/guides/signs at all.
Just don't think of the film The Descent!
Just don't think of the film The Descent!
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kat D
Loughborough, UK62 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
Went here on a tour (recommended if you aren't staying near the Lassithi Plateau and don't drive), and it is beautiful to see, and the signs give some insight into the cave, it's 19th century discovery, and it's earlier usage.
It's free for all EU students (win!), and is a constant 10ºC inside, which is lovely after you've been in the 20ºC+ outside for a while!
It's free for all EU students (win!), and is a constant 10ºC inside, which is lovely after you've been in the 20ºC+ outside for a while!
Written 1 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian C
Ripley, UK75 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
Just a short drive up from the coast thru Gouves Village and follow signs to Skotino village, the cave is signed from there and the route easy to follow, last bit is up a rough track. There are two churches on site and the cave is down a path below the older church. It is known as Skotino Cave or Agia Paraskevi cave, the latter name from the church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi built on top of it.
The cave is 160 meters deep and 36 meters wide with further sections to side and below but these should only be tackled only be experienced cavers.
The route down to the cave is an easily marked path with OK steps but descent from the top of the cave into the depths requires the use of rough steps, the upper ones have become buried in loose stones which require care. The further down you go the less you can see your feet so good footwear really and certainly not a trip for anyone with physical disabilities or that struggles with breathing or walking up hills, or is generally unsteady. There are numerous nice rock features in the ceiling and the walls and some interesting central formations.
The cave is truly massive and being equipped I went beyond the bottom and found some superb flowstone formations just beyond the tourist route. but this requires a short climb down or a short crawl and a climb down to access, so again a good light and good boots and some old clothing required to get dirty is required and experience of caving!
The first archaeological examination on the site were carried out by Arthur Evans, the well-known British archaeologist who unearthed and partially restored Knossos in the early 20th century. A more comprehensive exploration was carried out by French and Greek archaeologists in the 1960s. They found a considerable number of bronze and ceramic votive offerings, the oldest of them dating from the earliest Minoan periods, suggesting the cave was an important sacred shrine dedicated to a female fertility deity, presumably Britomartis. The cave was still used in Classical Greek and Roman eras, when the fertility goddess Artemis or her Roman equivalent Diana replaced the Minoan deity.
Both churches are worth a look but the one dedicated to the cave old has the interest.
Overall a great and free attraction and a must do if you are on that coast, but requiring care to descend, a small light to see where you are treading at bottom preferable.
The cave is 160 meters deep and 36 meters wide with further sections to side and below but these should only be tackled only be experienced cavers.
The route down to the cave is an easily marked path with OK steps but descent from the top of the cave into the depths requires the use of rough steps, the upper ones have become buried in loose stones which require care. The further down you go the less you can see your feet so good footwear really and certainly not a trip for anyone with physical disabilities or that struggles with breathing or walking up hills, or is generally unsteady. There are numerous nice rock features in the ceiling and the walls and some interesting central formations.
The cave is truly massive and being equipped I went beyond the bottom and found some superb flowstone formations just beyond the tourist route. but this requires a short climb down or a short crawl and a climb down to access, so again a good light and good boots and some old clothing required to get dirty is required and experience of caving!
The first archaeological examination on the site were carried out by Arthur Evans, the well-known British archaeologist who unearthed and partially restored Knossos in the early 20th century. A more comprehensive exploration was carried out by French and Greek archaeologists in the 1960s. They found a considerable number of bronze and ceramic votive offerings, the oldest of them dating from the earliest Minoan periods, suggesting the cave was an important sacred shrine dedicated to a female fertility deity, presumably Britomartis. The cave was still used in Classical Greek and Roman eras, when the fertility goddess Artemis or her Roman equivalent Diana replaced the Minoan deity.
Both churches are worth a look but the one dedicated to the cave old has the interest.
Overall a great and free attraction and a must do if you are on that coast, but requiring care to descend, a small light to see where you are treading at bottom preferable.
Written 18 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Егор Н
11 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
I've been in a couple of caves myself, including Zeus Cave on Crete, but this one have some unique feeling about it. The routeto it is not very interesting and goes around hills, so be preared to go in some U-turns (like on every road you take on Crete). And the cave is not equiped with anything, like stairs of lights, but on the other hand that is a thing that makes it special. You just like go inside a mountain and get a sense the power of the earth and time. There are very little visitors here so you kinda get alone with the nature wich is also a nice feature on a busy island.
It should be mentioned that the visit of the cave itseld wont take more then 45 minutes of your time, so if you decide to go, make it only a part of your traveling plan and not the main feature
It should be mentioned that the visit of the cave itseld wont take more then 45 minutes of your time, so if you decide to go, make it only a part of your traveling plan and not the main feature
Written 28 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
courtyboy
London, UK10 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
We are from Hampshire. We don't get to go in caves much. We drove here with our hire car, it was fairly easy to find. The cave is instantly impressive. It is cathedral sized. On our first visit we just went in the main chamber. The rest of the cave drops away into darkness and we decided not to try going down there...but we ended up going back with torches. This cave is huge, we started winding our way down into the darkness with the daylight fading. Eventually we reached the end chamber with it's stalactites and swooping bats.
There is a lower chamber that looks a bit tricky to get down to....we may have to go back. I did this with my 9 and 12 year old. I would say it is mildly challenging and fairly spooky, especially the end chamber.
There is a lower chamber that looks a bit tricky to get down to....we may have to go back. I did this with my 9 and 12 year old. I would say it is mildly challenging and fairly spooky, especially the end chamber.
Written 8 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yiannis K
Greece103 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
Have visited the cave many times. The cave is huge and you can use a strong flashlight to go deep inside easy. n top of the cave there is an old church. If you use the path on the north you end up with a wonderful view of the cretan sea and the island of Dia. Nice place to relax and explore.
Written 16 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eva A
Ljubljana, Slovenia321 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
The Skotino cave is one of the largest and more impressive caves among the many caves found in Crete.
The cave lies high on a hill northwest of the village of Skotino, a few kilometers inland south of Gouves. It is also known as Agia Paraskevi cave from the church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi built on top of it. The cave is 160 meters deep and 36 meters wide.
Archeologists found a considerable number of bronze and ceramic votive offerings, the oldest of them dating from the earliest Minoan periods, suggesting the cave was an important sacred shrine dedicated to a female fertility deity, presumably Britomartis. The cave was still used in Classical Greek and Roman eras, when the fertility goddess Artemis or her Roman equivalent Diana replaced the Minoan deity.
The best part about this is that not a lot of tourists know about it! There are mostly local people who light candles and place holy icons on the rocks near the entrance.
So when we arrived there, there was no one there, except a large number of pigeons who are nesting inside the cave.
There is no entry fee and no guide, no signs, nothing. So you're on your own.
There is nice and recently made path that leads down, to the cave, though.
The cave is very deep and the stones are slippery. So watch out and try wearing sneakers instead of flip flops.
Don't go exploring too far, because there's a steep drop when you get to the darker part of the cave.
The cave has many many years ago been completely under water - when you look at the stones, it's very obvious.
If you like caves and want to visit a really nice one, make sure to visit this one. It's beautiful and free!
(P.s. you might want to bring a torch lamp with you, but it's not necessary).
The cave lies high on a hill northwest of the village of Skotino, a few kilometers inland south of Gouves. It is also known as Agia Paraskevi cave from the church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi built on top of it. The cave is 160 meters deep and 36 meters wide.
Archeologists found a considerable number of bronze and ceramic votive offerings, the oldest of them dating from the earliest Minoan periods, suggesting the cave was an important sacred shrine dedicated to a female fertility deity, presumably Britomartis. The cave was still used in Classical Greek and Roman eras, when the fertility goddess Artemis or her Roman equivalent Diana replaced the Minoan deity.
The best part about this is that not a lot of tourists know about it! There are mostly local people who light candles and place holy icons on the rocks near the entrance.
So when we arrived there, there was no one there, except a large number of pigeons who are nesting inside the cave.
There is no entry fee and no guide, no signs, nothing. So you're on your own.
There is nice and recently made path that leads down, to the cave, though.
The cave is very deep and the stones are slippery. So watch out and try wearing sneakers instead of flip flops.
Don't go exploring too far, because there's a steep drop when you get to the darker part of the cave.
The cave has many many years ago been completely under water - when you look at the stones, it's very obvious.
If you like caves and want to visit a really nice one, make sure to visit this one. It's beautiful and free!
(P.s. you might want to bring a torch lamp with you, but it's not necessary).
Written 25 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul Graham
Alston, UK19 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We looked for this cave on our last visit three years ago. This time we persisted to the end of the tarmacced road and then anther 1/2 miles of gravel road to a tiny church perched above a deep pit. Down lots of steps was the enormous Skotino cave. The entrance is huge(wide and high) the steps lead down into a huge cavern(high,wide and of enormous length)
You need to take good footwear as some areas are damp and slippery and a powerful torch (with a long beam) due to the sheer size. The size and mix of colours of the stalagmites and stalagctites are spectacular.
Chambers with wide passageways lead to further chambers 3 in all. There is a second entrance I am told.
It was deserted when we arrived. When we left an hour later we passed a car on the road( which may have been going to the occasional house off the road or to one of the few vineyards and olive groves.
Although much cooler as most caves are it is also very humid.
Well worth the effort of finding it.
You need to take good footwear as some areas are damp and slippery and a powerful torch (with a long beam) due to the sheer size. The size and mix of colours of the stalagmites and stalagctites are spectacular.
Chambers with wide passageways lead to further chambers 3 in all. There is a second entrance I am told.
It was deserted when we arrived. When we left an hour later we passed a car on the road( which may have been going to the occasional house off the road or to one of the few vineyards and olive groves.
Although much cooler as most caves are it is also very humid.
Well worth the effort of finding it.
Written 1 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marc G
15 contributions
Jul 2018
The cave is something to do with kids between 10 and 18 years old. It is impressive and spooky. You hear animal sounds when you are inside. We did not go too far in the cave but it is for sure worth a visit!
Written 17 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is the gate to the cave ever closed? We’re planning on an early morning hike tomorrow and would be disappointed to get there and not be able to go into the cave. Thanks
Written 24 September 2019
Нет, не закрываются - их там просто нет.
Written 26 September 2019
Здравствуйте! Место интересует как скалолазное. Но я одна, без напарника (( какие шансы встретить на месте скалолазов и присоединиться?)
Written 13 August 2019
Добрый день. Были вечером в 17, до нас была только одна пара посетителей пешком, после нас никого. Но на сводах пещеры
Остались скалолазание крюки и карабины висели.
Written 13 August 2019
Can I get there from Heraklion city center by bus? How long will it take?
Written 8 April 2017
No, it’s only accessible by car or there are many tours to the cave, bring a flashlight or head torch, and wear trainers as can be slippery, look out for the jumping spiders that can only be found in this cave and no where else on earth, well worth a visit
Written 27 August 2018
Hi,
how would you get to Skotino Caves by car?
Written 8 September 2016
Hard to say as I don't know where you'll be staying. If you are any where near Gouves, on the Northern national Road, follow the road to Pano Gouves. Follow the road through P Gouves past Spiro's bar the big church and Eucalyptus kafenion and about 1km outside the village you will come to a crossroads. Turn right here and follow the road to Skotino village. I believe the cave is sign posted in the village but I seem to remember that it is a left turn and then a second left. You then pass through Skotino and follow the sign to the cave. Enjoy your trip but don't expect too much!
Written 9 September 2016
Good day!
Let me know please is it possible to go to the Cave by bus? I don't drive a car... (((
And is it possible to go into the Cave by ourselves or we need to take an excurcion with a Guide?...
Thank for your help!
Nataly
Written 6 May 2015
Paul, thank you for your answer!
We've been there this month )))
Great place!
Without any guides with us
I recommend to have spare rope and gloves too
Written 9 July 2015
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