Σπηλιά της Συκιάς

Sikia Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Sykia Cave 848 00, Milos Island, Cyclades, South Aegean. (36.6677560, 24.3205698)
Open:	No restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Collapse Doline Collapsed Cave Sea Cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	HorionYachts, Adamas Port, Milos Island, 848 00, Tel: +30-22870-24083. E-mail: Milos Charters, Milos Island, 848 00, Tel: +30-6907-070-526. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1980s

cave explored and mapped.

Description

Σπηλιά της Συκιάς (Sikia Cave, Sykia Cave) is a collapse doline, which was created by the collapse of a cave chamber. Remains of the collapsed ceiling form a pile of debris on the floor of the doline. It is connected to the sea by a cave passage, which is quite small in comparison with the doline itself, but it is large enough that a boat can pass through its entrance. The opening is 5 m high and 20 m wide. The doline is elliptical, almost circular, with a length of 83 m and a width of 74 m. The height of the walls differs, to the southeast it is almost 50 m, to the northwest only 25 m. The reason is simply that the surface is a slope towards the sea.

Despite the circular form the doline is shown as a crescent-shaped structure. This is based on the floor of the doline, there is a pile of debris in the northern part which forms a rocky slope. The southern part is covered by seawater and forms a small inland sea. The slope of debris obviously continues underwater. Opposite the entrance is a small pebble beach and a small cave.

For some reason several texts state that this is a cave, which is more or less untrue. Of course, it started as a sea cave, but it is actually a collapse doline which hast two quite small caves, one forming the entrance and another one on the opposite side, which is more or less a shallow shelter. And due to the volcanic origin there are definitely no stalactites or stalagmites, that’s a typical AI nonsense which was obviously copied by the author without checking the facts. That AIs believe that anything which is named caves has stalactites or stalagmites is a "known bug". Actually the walls show a spectacular inside into the structure of the pumice rock, with layers caused by the sedimentation and enclosed layers of black obsidian rocks.

There are two ways to reach this spot, either by boat or by foot. By foot, it’s a rather long hike in the heat and so most tourists choose the boat ride. Smaller boats actually enter the doline, larger ships stay outside, and the people can swim in. The hike starts at the Agios Ioannis monastery and is 4,3 km long with an elevation gain of 260 m, it takes about 2 h walking time.

Located on the western coast of Milos, the cave is located in pyroclastic rocks, the island is part of the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The rock is pumice, a sandstone or conglomerate formed by the sedimentation of lava grains during an eruption. In other words, this is neither a karst cave as the rock is not soluble, nor is it a lava tube, as there is no lava flow. The pumice was lava which was thrown high into the air during the eruption, and the small pieces of lava cooled down and fell as rain of ash and grains. Still hot those grains connected, enclosing some air, and formed the pumice. This rock is rather soft and relatively easy to erode and due to the pores is also susceptible to frost erosion. In other words, the sea cave was formed by the erosion of the waves, following the weakest parts of the rock. The enormous size of the collapse doline is not a result of a huge chamber which collapsed. Actually, after the collapse, erosion continued inside the doline and enlarged it over time.