Glifada

Glyfada - Glifada Cave - Glyphada - Vlychada - Diros Caves

Useful Information

Location:	Pirgos Dirou 230 63. Near Pirgos Diru, Diros-Lakonia. From Pirgos Dirou a road leads 4 km to the bay of Diros, where the cave is located. (36.6383858, 22.3807512)
Open:	APR to OCT daily 9-17. NOV to MAR daily 8:30-16:30. [2024]
Fee:	Long Tour: Adults EUR 17, Children (6-17) EUR 12, Children (0-5) free, Disabled free, Students EUR 12, Seniors (65+) EUR 12. Short Tour: Adults EUR 12, Children (6-17) EUR 10, Children (0-5) free, Disabled free, Students EUR 10, Seniors (65+) EUR 10. Land Section Only: Adults EUR 9, Children (6-17) EUR 6, Children (0-5) free, Disabled free, Students EUR 6, Seniors (65+) EUR 6. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave river cave.
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=15,400 m [2005], VR=80 m, Tair=16°-19 °C, Twater=12 °C, A=50 m asl.
Guided tours:	D=45 min, L=1,500 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	J S Vourlitis ND (~1970): Caverns Of Mani, 72 photos, 12 pp text in English, German and Greek. SB Anna Petrocheilou (1970): The Diros Caves of Mani: Alepotrypa and Glyphada, 32 p., [16] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.), maps ; 17 cm.
Address:	Diros Caves, Pirgos Dirou, 23062, Tel: +30-27330-52222.
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

1895	cave discovered by Petros Arapaki.
1949	explored by Iannis Petrochilos and Anna Petrochilou, the founders of the Hellenic Speleological Society.
1961	begin of development as a show cave by the E.O.T.
1967	show cave opened to the public.
1970	first underwater exploration by cave divers.
1983	the crystallized skeleton of a large carnivorous animal, probably a panther, discovered.
1987	detailed exploration of the Cave by the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Speleology, begin of cave diving.

Description

photography — Speleothems, Glifada Cave. Public Domain.

There are several caves near Pirgos Diru which are called the Σπήλαια Διρού (Spilia Dirou, Diros Caves, Caves of Diros). The different caves were named Αλεπότρυπα (Alepotrypa, Foxhole), Σπήλαιο Καταφύγι (Katafygi Cave) and Βλυχάδα (Glifada, Vlychada). They are all parts or different levels of a huge cave system that runs from Sparta, more than 60 km to the north, under the great spine of the Taygetos massif to the sea. The connection is proven by dye tracing experiments, but most of this huge cave system is unexplored, the main reason is the fact that most of it is underwater. Different cave entrances got different names, the fact that they are entrances to the same cave system was discovered millennia later. The famous show cave is the Glifada part.

The natural entrance of Σπήλαιο Γλυφάδα Διρού (Glyfada Dirou Cave, Vlychada Dirou Cave) measures just 40x50 cm and is about 50 m asl. Visitors enter the cave through an artificial entrance tunnel about 100 m west of the natural entrance, and leave the cave via an artificial exit. Just 23 m from the natural entrance, the river Glifada or Vlihada leaves Glifada Cave and falls into the sea.

Glifada Cave is called the most beautiful river cave besides Showcave Jeita (Lebanon) and the Gouffre de Padirac (France). (an assertion showcaves.com cannot confirm, as we did not review the cave yet) The river Glifada flows at a rate of 30 cm³/min. The water level varies according to weather conditions: low with north wind, high with south wind.

The tour starts with a dry section, then a 30-minute boat ride follows and then another dry section. The boat ride is about 1,200 m, and the trail through the dry parts is about 300 m long. The visitors have to duck down on the boat several times, as the ceiling is often rather low. At the same time, the guides tell, not to put the fingers into the water as there are huge eels living in the water which would bite. We guess that’s a case of cave guide humour. The cave actually has a unique troglobiont cave fauna, for example, the Dolichopoda petrocheilosa, named after Anna Petrocheilou, which lives on dry land.

The cave is sometimes flooded and then the lower part of the river section are not accessible any more. In this case, only short tours are offered with 300 m on the river plus the full dry part. As such events are dependent on the weather, the show cave warns on the website. People who have online tickets get the difference between the long and the short tour refunded.

The cave was formed at a time during the ice age, when the sea level was at least 70 m lower than today. This is derived from the fact that stalactites have been found at a depth of 71 m. The water drained towards this sea level and the cave, which is now water filled, was air filled, and speleothems like stalactites and stalagmites grew. The speleothems do not grow underwater, so the flooded ones have stopped growing. During the boat ride, numerous stalagmites can be seen which stand in the river. This is impossible, they grew on the cave floor, and the base was later flooded, this is the only possible explanation.

In the Great Ocean Room, the flowing water is nearly 30 m deep. Visitors can take a half an hour boat ride for 2 km through nine large chambers. In summer there is a two hour long queue, so try and arrive early in the morning. Next to the cave is a small bathing beach, snack bar, taverna and changing room.

Noted for its cave painting depicting: Three Dancers, A Bird, A Medusa, and a symbol against evil spirits.

Text by Tony Oldham (2002). With kind permission.