CAVES (Cave)

Vourlismenoi Cave

We find it in the homonymous location, on the eastern side of the island. It is 4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. Its terrain is rocky and is a refuge for wild pigeons

Vryokastro Cave

It is located on the southeast side of Vryokastro hill. It is approximately 4 meters wide and 5 meters long. Access to this cave is only by sea.

Gastria cave

It is located 1km west of Kionia and it is believed that there used to be pottery workshops here. The soil, which is rich in clay, also supports this, as well as the existence of two fireplaces. Many fragments of vessels have been found in the area and nearby was the great sanctuary of Poseidon and Amphitrite, which consumed clay vessels to serve the multitude of pilgrims. After all, the name "Gastria" probably comes from the word "Glastria". The length of the cave is over 50 meters and inside in some places it is particularly wide. In the opening inside, a strange circular building has been discovered. According to tradition, Christians took refuge here during their persecutions. After all, early Christian inscriptions have been discovered on the walls of the Cave. Legend has it that this cave is connected to Exumburg Castle, as a secret passage, but this is difficult to prove, as the cave ends at one point, probably due to a landslide. This place deserves to be researched more, since apart from geological, it is also of archaeological interest.

Drakolakas Cave

It is 4 km from the village of Plateia and 1 km from Vathy bay. The cave got its name from "drakoti" which is a local name for the disease "cyanosis". The locals would bring the children affected by this disease and change their black clothes for light colored ones. There they prayed for their healing and the children stayed in the cave for three nights. Those who survived were believed to be cured by the healing properties of the cave.

Kithara Cave

This cave is located 3 km north of the above cave. It got its name from the guitar-shaped coast. It is 5 meters wide and 6 meters deep. Access is by sea only. And this, like the one above, is a pigeon shelter. In fact, it is said that this cave is connected to the mountain of Tsiknias.

Mygospilia Cave

It is located 6 km west of the village of Aetofolia and 200m above sea level, in the Kastela area. This cave is 55m long and has two entrances. There are scattered human bones, from at least six women and children. From vase fragments, we can understand that these date back to the Greek Revolution and earlier. Tradition says that some destroyer on the island set fire to the mouth of the cave and sentenced these people to martyrdom. A characteristic of this cave is the rare species of flies that swarm there. Specialist entomologists claim that this species exists only here.

Panormos Cave

This cave is located north of Panormos, in the northwestern part of Tinos. It was discovered in 1854 and turned into a marble quarry.

Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou