By Nicolas Bard

At the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese, a few kilometers away from Neapoli, Laconia, is well hidden one of the most impressive caves in Greece. The reason, of course, for the Cave of chestnut, which counts more than three million years of life and stands out for its impressive stalactites and stalagmites adorning its interior. All these years, nature has been artisting the impressive stone decoration and created bodies and shapes of an immense imagination. Entering the interior of the cave you will wander among the spectacular red and white “waterfalls”, giant multicolored columns, and “curtains” of stalactites, hanging like wax dummies from the roof, while lighting makes the atmosphere even more submissive.

A few decades ago, a shepherd of the area, named Spyridon Stivaktas, observed a flock of bees that came out of a hole. Curious as it was, he took a torch and followed the bees, descending into the earth. Then, he saw a magical spectacle. The cave that opened in front of him stuck him with his beauty. A few years later, in 1958, and while the cave of Diros had begun to gain a greater reputation, the then prefect sent a card to all residents in the area to advertise the Diros cave. Mr Stivaktas, after seeing this card, bent over and could no longer keep his secret … So he revealed that he himself had found an equally beautiful and more impressive cave.

The area of ​​the cave is 1,500 sqm, and is divided into two levels, while visitors follow a 500 -meter route on the Earth. Rare appearances such as discs, flat stalagmites, eccentrics and helicopters, have their special place in the cave and are important tour stations. If you are lucky, you may also find the only resident of the cave: the blind and deaf dolich. It is a kind of grasshopper, which could not live anywhere else, except in the cave, where waves detects the space and finds its food.
The cave was formed in the limestone of Jurassic age (145 to 195 million years) of the “Tripoli” section, after a period of geological riots in the wider area of ​​Akrotiri Malea, which was succeeded by an active period of droplets and creation of chemicals. The lithomatic decoration consists of calcium carbonate in crystalline form, enriched with subsoil metal oxides, giving it a unique palette of seven colors.

The lush mountain route for the Cave of Kastania follows the eastern end of Parnon, which erases in the spooky and impressive Cape of Malea. In the courtyard of the cave there is a refreshment room today, while a short distance from there is the historic church of St. Andrew, which is marked by the passages of cursors and conquerors. If you are on this edge of the Peloponnese, it is worth organizing an excursion and visiting this unique cave.