Σπηλια Κουτουκι

Spilia Koutouki - Koutouki Cave - Cave Koutouki


Useful Information

Location: 4 km from the village of Paiania, Peania Perfecture. To the east of Athens, on the eastern slope of Mount Ymittos. Near the Athens Airport.
(37.946028012472176, 23.828734566727107)
Open: All year daily 8-15, last tour 14:30.
[2021]
Fee: Adults EUR 2, Children EUR 1.
[2021]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: A=510 m asl.
Guided tours:  
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography: A. Bartsiokas, G. Vouyouklis (1983): Touristic exploitation of caves and its influence to the troglobite fauna: the case of Koutouki cave, Attica., International meeting on the show caves and their problems. Athens 1983: 247-248 (Greek summary)
Address: Koutouki cave, Peania, Tel: +30-10-664-2910 or +30-10-664-2108.
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

1926 discovered accidentally.

Description

Σπηλια Κουτουκι (Koutouki Cave) is an vertical cave and its entry shaft is 38.5 m deep. At the bottom of the shaft the cave opens into a single huge cavern (60x60 m). The visitor takes a circular route around this large chamber, zig zagging, backwards and forwards along corridors formed by the prolithic array of speleothems. The cave is accessible through an artificial entrance. The visitor sees a light show accompanied by music, showing the turn of a day: day-break, sunrise, midday, nightfall and moonlight.

The story of the discovery is rather typical: a goat grazing on the slopes of Mt. Hymettos (Ymittos) fell into a small crevice whose depth was unknown. S. Vichos volunteered to descend by rope to rescue the animal. Though he found the goat dead, he had much to tell about the marvels he had seen.

Mount Hymettos is a limestone mountain range, running north-south, along the eastern border of Athens. The range is around 800 m high, with Athens only slightly above sea level. The whole area is karstified, but all caves are vertical caves.

It seems the most important features of of this cave are the huge chamber and the closeness to the capital. This may be the reason why they try to pep up the tour with a light and sound show. The cave is ideal for people arriving or leaving Greece through Athens airport. A visit is only a short taxi ride away.

The town of Paiania or Peania was the birth place of the philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC), and the renowned orator Demosthenes (384-322 BC). The cave is also named Σπήλαιο Παιανίας «Κουτούκι» (Peania Cave "Koutouki") or simply Σπήλαιο Παιανίας (Peania Cave).