Recently a phone call from my excellent friend and editor of the magazine “HELLENIC PANORAMA”, Theophilos Basgiourakis, literally stirred me up. It was in fact the “closing of an account”, the fulfillment of an old promise: the presentation in the magazine of the “Cave of Kastania”. I still remember with emotion those moments of our first meeting with Theophilos and Anna 5 years ago in my hometown, in Molae, Laconia. With a glass of wine next to the fireplace we had enjoyed the images of the Cave of Kastania, projected by my cave companion Yannis Kyriakakis. By now it was time to go. After its recent development, this “diamond” in the depths of the Laconian land would adorn the pages of this beautiful magazine.

Recently a phone call from my excellent friend and editor of the magazine “ELLINIKO PANORAMA”, Theophilos Basgiourakis, literally stirred me up. It was in fact the “closing of an account”, the fulfillment of an old promise: the presentation in the magazine of the “Cave of Kastania”. I still remember with emotion those moments of our first meeting with Theophilos and Anna 5 years ago in my hometown, in Molae, Laconia. With a glass of wine next to the fireplace, we enjoyed the images of the Cave of Kastania, projected by my cave companion Yannis Kyriakakis. By now it was time to go. After its recent development, this “diamond” in the depths of the Laconian land would adorn the pages of this beautiful magazine.
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE CAVE
On 9 October 1999 I had the honour of being entrusted by the Hellenic Speleological Exploration Club (SP.EL.E.O.) with the responsibility of organizing the 2nd Panhellenic Speleological Meeting in Molae. This institution with such an important role in the Greek Speleological Family was initiated by the Hellenic Speleological Society (H.S.E.) and at the request of its founder and “Mother” of Greek Speleology, the late Anna Petrochilou. The “Lady of Caves”, as she was often called, who was also the explorer of the Cave of Kastania, participated of course in the proceedings of the meeting, and I was even lucky enough to host her at my residence in Molae.
At that time, groups of caveologists visited Kastania Cave and presented their views on the tourist development of the cave, which was being considered at the time. The team consisted of Dr. Kostas Merdenisianos, an experienced medical speleologist and at the same time founder and president of E.P.E.A.N., the general secretary Apostolos Tseklenis and the president of the Children’s Speleological Club “AETOS” of Glyfada, Petros Romanas. Yannis Kyriakakis from Asopos also participated in the mission and this is how the cave photo shoot came about, which had so impressed my editor friends.
The views of the team after the cave visit prompted the following resolution:
“The participants of the 2nd Speleological Meeting held today 9/10/1999 in Molae, Laconia, and on the occasion of information about the tourist development of the “Agios Andreas” Cave in Kastania, Voion, Laconia, and given our firm position in principle against development, especially with incomplete studies and in the absence of expert speleologists,
we unanimously decided,
the formation of an Inter-Collegiate Committee consisting of representatives of all the non-profit speleological associations. The task of the above Committee is the regular autopsy in the caves under development during the stages of design and execution of projects and then the submission to the competent government bodies documented reports with proposals and suggestions, which are considered necessary for the minimum possible damage to natural monuments.
The meeting was also attended by the founder and president of Speleology Nafplio (SPI.NA) Dr. Geology Vassilis Giannopoulos, representing the Directorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology of the Ministry of Culture. His love and experience for caves in cooperation with the experts of the Directorate of the Ministry of Culture were a decisive factor for the excellent work of the exploitation of the Kastania Cave. It has been a long time since then. One day my old friend Christos Panagiotopoulos, a resident of Monemvasia and member of the Board of Directors of the E.O.S. South-Eastern Laconia, invited me to go to Kastania. His purpose was to give me a tour of the cave and to listen to my observations about the construction work he had undertaken for its development. I was amazed both by the incredible richness of the stone decoration and by the elaborate stone structures in the corridors and at the entrance. They were the most elaborate structures I had seen in a tourist cave up to that time. It was very fortunate that Kastania Cave had found its … craftsman, a true artist. Christos’ crew was skilled in paving corridors, stone walls, cobblestone constructions and wooden roofs. Christos himself was of Gortynian descent, a genuine descendant of the famous Lagadian masons.
I constantly admired on the one hand the delicacy and perfection of nature’s creation and on the other hand the attention to detail and the care in the work of people. Before Christos could question me I gave him my congratulations with a firm handshake.
The autopsy report that was carried out on 11/7/2002 by a team of the Paleoanthropology – Speleology Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which also awarded him the same, stating the following:
“In the surrounding area of the cave, most of the work has been completed in the best way as:
-The construction of a 2.00 m wide paved walkway from the parking area to the ticket office to the waiting room and the entrance of the cave.
-The construction of the ticket office building is stone-built with a tiled roof, so that it is in harmony with the surrounding natural environment and the general architecture of the area.
-Inside the cave, the tourist route has been completed in the most natural way possible, and both the security lighting and the lighting for the cave have been installed and are in operation.
In general, it was found that both the materials used (high quality stainless steel handrail, white cement, etc.) and the execution of the work were carried out in an excellent manner, paying attention to the smallest detail, which has not been found to date in any other cave developed for tourism.
THE GEOLOGICAL PAST
AND THE RECENT HISTORY OF THE CAVE
According to Dr. Vassilis Giannopoulos, “the cave has been opened within Jurassic limestones of the “Tripoli” unit (195-140 million years ago). The layers of limestone, which in the area of the cave have a 20-25o inclination, as well as the tectonism that started during the Pliocene to early Pleistocene (5-1.5 million years ago) played an important role in cave formation. According to macroscopic observations, the cave took its present form after a period of instability and major precipitation inside the cave, probably caused by an earthquake, followed by a period of intense dripping and chemical sedimentation (débris formation).
But what is the recent history of the cave?
The existence of the “Agios Andreas” cave in Kastania has been known since the first decades of the 20th century. Spyros Stivaktas, the former owner of the estate, under whose surface the cave is located, used to enter it many times during the summer months to quench his thirst, with the little water that collected from the drip in a puddle. But the discovery of the cave was made by his father by accident. He had found that, although the area was arid, his beehive would enter a crevice in the rock and emerge after a few thirsty days. One day he ran out of the water he had with him and, as he was tormented by thirst, he thought of the crevice. He enlarged it, entered the cave, discovered the puddle of water, and from then on he used it many times for watering.
However, the occasion for exploring it and finding its tourist value was another chance event. Specifically, on New Year’s Day 1959, the then Prefect of Laconia Christos Kitsidis sent a greeting card to all the communities of the prefecture. This card depicted part of the interior of the cave ‘Glyfada Dirou’. Then Yannis Kontos, who for 27 years had been the secretary of the Kastania Community, showed the card to Spyros Stivakta.
– “Our cave” has much nicer stalactites and stalagmites, he assured him. From then on, the efforts for the exploration and exploitation of the cave began, a long and complex journey through the bureaucratic channels of the various services, described in detail by Yannis Kontos in his book “A Kastaniotis remembers”.
In the same year (1959), the pair of caveologists Ioannis and Anna Petrochilou visited the Cave of Dyros. The Prefect of Laconia urges them to visit the cave “Agios Andreas”. The two speleologists accept and carry out the first exploration of the cave.
It is worth remembering here the simple but so vivid description of Anna Petrochilou, when, about half a century ago, her eyes beheld this wonder of the land of Laconia.
“Descending a winding corridor we will visit the “First Chamber”, bejeweled by small and large stalagmites and columns. To its left is the “Red Chamber”, quite downhill. To the right, beautiful columns in order separate us from the next and huge “Water Chamber”.
It takes its name from the small basin of water in it, which was the occasion for the cave to be discovered. To our right, a series of huge stalagmites at a higher level, like an extended balcony, separate us from the “Thicket Compartments”.
The stalagmites are succeeded by huge columns, proper “Giants”. This is where the Mushroom Chamber begins. It’s a vast hall lined with mushroom stalagmites. Passing through them we will descend the “Royal Staircase”, decorated with stalagmites of the “cactus” type. Their elegance and compositions present a proper exotic garden, which will lead us to the “Chamber of Firs”.
Here the giant stalagmites of the “fir tree” type are awe-inspiring. Climbing another staircase we will visit the “Chamber of Candles”. The alabaster stalagmites of the “candle” type are developed in two complexes.
Passing between them and rotating we descend the “Staircase with the Nuffles”, which will lead us again to the “Chamber of the Firs”. From there we take another corridor to the “Chocolate Chamber”. A magnificent column, as if made of chocolate, dominates the centre. To its left through an opening we enjoy the “Alabaster Chamber”. Its ornamentation, white and transparent, contrasts with the previous one in colour and quality. Next we visit the “Extended Balcony”, on which is the “Bushes’ Apartment”. A winding path will take us between them to enjoy from above, panoramic, all the beauty of the chambers we have visited.”
In 1963 Anna Petrochilou drew up a preliminary report on the tourist development of the cave in collaboration with the caveologist S. Diakogiannis.
In 1983 (20 years later!) the report is completed with the budget of the proposed projects.
In 1989 a research-geological team of the University of Athens, consisting of S. Lekkas, A. Alexopoulos and G. A.A. Leksakos and A.G. Danamos visited the cave and submitted a short summary report to the Prefecture of Laconia on the ‘geotechnical conditions in the area of the cave’.
In 1996 the Community of Kastania addressed to the Geological Department of the University of Athens and in particular to Assistant Professor Z. Karotsieris, in order to be informed about the necessary actions and studies that had to be done for the exploitation of the cave. At the same time, he is taking care and integrating the financing of the exploitation in the program of the 2nd Community Support Framework and specifically in the Operational Program “Tourism – Culture”.
In May 1998, the Community of Kastania commissioned the preparation of the A’. In May May 1998, the Community of Katoia sent the first phase of the studies to the University of Athens.
Finally, in August 2003, the Cave “Ag. Andreas Kastanias” officially opens its gates and surrenders to the admiration of Greek and foreign visitors.
It took almost 45 years from the New Year’s Day of 1958 and the first discussions until the development of the cave was completed. Unfortunately, the Secretary of the Community of Kastania, Yannis Kontos, who worked so hard for the cave of his place, could not endure the long wait. He abandoned the mundane just two years before the development, disappointed that he did not deserve to see his vision completed.
Today, the Cave of St. Andrew Castania has finally emerged from obscurity and, perfectly exploited, is charting its glorious course into the future.
According to the data provided by the person in charge of promotion and advertising, Eleni Yova from Kastania, between August 2003 and August 2004, at least 12,000 Greeks and foreigners visited and admired it.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE CAVE AND THE AREA.
The Cave of St. Andrew took its name from the homonymous chapel. It is located in the eastern part of the Malia Peninsula, at the south-eastern end of the Peloponnese. It is a remote and deserted location about a kilometer from the picturesque beach with the seaside settlement of Panagitsa. The nearest settlements are Kastania and Ano Kastania, which are respectively 10 and 13 km from Neapolis, the seat of the Municipality of Voies.
To reach the cave we have the possibility to follow two routes from Neapolis. In the first one we will pass by “Paradisi”, we will head to Kastania and then proceeding on a rural road of about 4 km we will reach the cave. In the second case we will follow the road from Neapoli to the settlements of Mesochori, Faraklou and Ano Kastania, from where, with 2.5 km of rural road we will reach the cave. Both routes are fascinating with a wide variety of scenery and excellent views to every point of the horizon.
Kastania is a small village located at the end of the eastern side of Mount Parnonas, which ends at the well-known Kavo Malia. It is built in green slopes above the cape “Camellia”, which according to the Ancients was called “EPIDELION”, which according to the legend got its name because the spear of “Apollo on Delos” arrived here with the waves.
The Cave of Agios Andreas is located at an average altitude of 110-120 meters. Its humidity is high, with the average relative value approaching 90%.
The air flow velocity measured in various constrictions between chambers is low. Strong air flow in the entrance tunnel, and even from inside the cave to the outside, is observed when there is a strong wind outside the cave. It appears in this case that the external wind creates underpressure inside the cave, resulting in a strong outward flow of air.
As for the presence of water inside the cave, the hydrogeological analysis shows that the only water that enters is that of the drip gutter. This comes from the infiltration of part of the rainwater. The configuration of the cave floor is such that it does not allow water to collect in small or large cavities. The exception is a very small cavity that collects a small amount of water. Due to the small thickness of the rock above the cave roof, the rate of dripping depends to a large extent on the evolution of rainfall. With the onset of rainfall and over a short period of time, the drip rate increases significantly and is maintained at a satisfactory level throughout the wet season. On the other hand, towards the end of the dry season, the drip decreases significantly.
The fauna of the cave was sampled at six different points in the cave. A total of six species of organisms were identified, one mammal, three insects, one biped and one mollusk. The mammal is a small rodent, Rattus rattus. The insects were an orthopteran of the family Phaphidophoridae, Dolichopoda sp., a spider with characteristically large limbs, probably of the family Pholcidae, and a very small (4-5 mm) dipteran. Finally, a biped of the family Julidae and a slug (Limax maculatus) were found as an accidental visitor in the entrance zone.
IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE CAVE
The time has come to penetrate the magical world of St. Andrew’s cave. Passing over a stone bridge we enter the antechamber made with traditional materials, local stones and tiles of old houses of the area.
The existence of the antechamber is necessary both to protect the cave from the effects of the external environment (temperature, rain, wind and dust) and to give the visitors’ bodies time to adapt, especially in periods when the conditions of the external environment are very different from the conditions of the cave.
By opening the entrance and looking up we can see the opening through which visitors entered before the development. The opening – which has always been there – has been left open, so as not to disturb the microclimate of the cave.
Descending a few steps, we find ourselves in the first chamber and have every reason to be stunned by admiration for nature’s creations. And we think, rightly so, that the cave of Agios Andreas Kastania is considered one of the top two or three land caves in Europe in terms of diversity of formations and shapes and variety of colours.
The cave is divided into two levels. Its total surface area covers an area of approximately 1,500 square metres. No additional chambers have been found or opened. The parts of the cave encountered during the tour are exactly as found in the original exploration. The corridor which was constructed covers a distance of about 500 meters. It is a corridor of small width, which can comfortably accommodate only one person. The use of stone, white cement in the joints and special resin in the flooring of the corridors gives them an exceptional appearance, which blends harmoniously with the colours and environment of the cave. The interventions are gentle and well thought out, the security lighting is discreet, the rich stalagmite decoration has remained almost unchanged, since the paths are supported in most places by columns.
With a constant temperature, ranging between 17 and 20 degrees, we begin our dreamy wanderings in a world that seems to have come out of fantasy. The ceilings of the various chambers, the walls and the floor of the cave are literally covered with an incredible number of stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes, colours and sizes. It is an unstoppable ‘stone rain’, which impresses us with its density. But beyond this dazzling downpour that covers every square centimetre, a very characteristic and important feature of St Andrew’s Cave is the variety of colours. The shades of red, green and grey are the ones most commonly found. They are due to metal oxides present in the subsoil. They mix with calcium carbonate and water and descend into the cavity of the cave, colouring its decoration in various shades. The red colours are due to iron oxides, green to copper oxides and grey to manganese oxides. In addition to the above mentioned there are other colours, seven in all, but the above are the ones that are most prominent and are found throughout the cave. In some places, however, the water manages to pass through the subsoil pure and clear, without impurities. It is in those cases that the lithic decoration acquires a wonderful, dazzling whiteness.
The Petrochilos couple exploring the cave had given names to many of its characteristic formations. Apart, of course, from the poetic exaltation and the sharpening of the imagination of the “godfather”, this naming also has some practical impact, since it helps to determine the location below ground.
Thus, at the beginning of the descent from the entrance, some stalactites resembling “elephants” are observed to the left and below the stairs. Their initial section is normally vertical and straight, but then it deviates sideways and is swollen compared to the previous one. It then continues to descend parallel to the initial one, creating the impression of an elephant’s head with its trunk. Characteristically, in fact, they are all pointed towards the exit. This shape, which is so strange, attests that at some period of time these stalactites received significant upward air currents and the drops were deflected towards the exit. Subsequently the effect ceased and growth resumed from this point again normally.
Another stalactite resembles a “snow-covered skyscraper”. And indeed, observing this figure is like seeing a proud life-size eagle, with large open wings, trying to fly and shake the snow off!
Nature’s creations and the figments of man’s imagination do not stop there. A little further on, the guide shows us the “Roman head”. Opposite the edge of the wall, at a low point in the room, the “Disc” awaits us. This stands up impressively because the stalagmite it is attached to has long ago collapsed into a horizontal position.
Climbing a few steps we find ourselves at the highest level of the cave, just 5-7 meters from the ground surface. This is evidenced by the roots, which at that point have invaded the roof. They come, of course, from the trees and bushes growing on the ground.
This is exactly where the red “veils of a royal bed” can be found, which leave us speechless with the creativity of nature. From this point the descent begins. As we gaze from above at the next room the picture is magical. On the left rises a huge red column with white details that evokes our admiration. It creates the feeling that on the red rock a small white stream is flowing its waters. On the side walls beautiful parapet formations grow, on the roof and floor there are stalactites, stalagmites and columns of every shape, form and colour that excite the imagination of every visitor.
We reach the deepest part of the cave, 25 to 30 metres below the surface of the earth. Here is the famous “Mushroom Room”. It is so named because there are rare stalagmites on the floor, which instead of being pointed or canine, are flat on top, like mushrooms.
According to Dr. Vassilis Giannopoulos, a geologist, “the studies carried out showed that the conditions at this point were the same as in other parts of the cave, except for the height of the ceiling, which was more than 15 meters high. Ongoing observations provided the answer. The drop – because of its size and great height – falling on the existing stalagmites, which had lost their crystallinity and were more susceptible to erosion, eroded them, creating a crater on their upper surface. Then, when for various reasons the erosive force of the drop stopped (change in drop size, great depth of erosion, etc.) the small basin formed by the erosion periodically filled with water. As a result, the well-known process of sedimentation in the basins began, with calcium carbonate being deposited cyclically in the upper part, tending to close the basin and make it flat.
But the same hall is decorated with “spiky” and “botryoidal” formations due to the extraction of very small droplets of stored water from the rock by small and gentle pressure. Because of their minimal gravity, these droplets do not descend in the familiar vertical path of water but look like small droplets of “sweat” on the surface of the stalagmite.
Opposite, on a beautiful white and large column, are the rare acicular stalactites, which, instead of growing vertically, grow horizontally. Because in their formation they have not followed the natural law of gravity, the name given to them is “eccentrics.” Some of those which have a helical form, as if they were rotating during their formation, have acquired the special name of ‘helicites’.
This mode of growth is caused by water pressing against the walls of the column, opening small pores. This creates these stalactites that look like small needles.
A few metres further on we penetrate a passage between stalagmites that form a small portal. This entrance leads to the last and smallest chamber. It has been given the name “Hall of Candles”, since all the decoration seems to have been created from melted wax. This room is a summary of all that we have admired “so far, the “veils”, the “coral”, the “columns”, the flat stalagmites, the “eccentrics”. It is as if all the creations of St. Andrew’s cave have been brought together in a dazzling final farewell.