Vlychada Cave | Diros | Mani Lakonia | The 100.000 Years Old Shelter of Hippos
Updated: Sep 14
Author
George P. Papadellis | SG Head
Diros Caves are two: Vlychada Cave (or Glyfada) and Alepotrypa Cave, with a distance of 220 m. between them. Alepotrypa is one of the largest Neolithic burial sites in Europe, while Vlychada was inhabited and hosts many fossilized bones of panthers, lions and hippopotamuses. Especially regarding hippos, Vlychada is the largerst deposit of hippo fossilized bones in Europe.
Photo by: George Fournaris, Diros-cave-greece 16121042175 o, CC BY-SA 4.0
Location of Vlychada Cave
The Glyfada Diros Cave (more than 100.000 years old), known to the locals from the beginning of the 20th century, is located in the Cove of Diros, close to Oitylo village, on the western side of the Peninsula of Laconia.
Photo by: Dionysisa303, Σπήλαιο Βλυχάδα ή Γλυφάδα 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0
Characteristics
Vlychada is more than 15 kilometers long and has a maximum depth of 100 meters. Its entrance (where ceramics have been found, indication of ancient human presence) has a diameter of 0,50 meters, and it is almost all under the water, so entering it is a small first challenge.
Photo by: Christos Koudounis, Starting point boats, CC BY-SA 4.0
The water of the cave is brackish and the temperature is approximately 14 oC. The cave has underwater stalactites and stalagmites.
