The Cave of Psihro (“Diktaion Antron”)

The Diktaeon Antron cave is located at an altitude of 1025m on the northern slopes of the Dikti mountain range. It is internationally known for its great archaeological importance and is located 30 minutes’ walk south of the village of Psychro in Lassithi. To the locals it is known as the Psychro Cave.

The name Diktaeon Antron was given shortly before 1900 and was linked with the legendary birth of the Cretan-born Zeus within it. The whole cave occupies an area of around 2200m² and the tourist route inside the cave extends for 250m.

At the entrance of the cave, the visitor can see an antechamber on the right and a large hall at the front. The antechamber has a total length of 42m, a maximum width of 19m, and a maximum height of 6.5m. In its northernmost part, a low chamber of 1.3 to 4m high is to be found. On the ground, the visitor will see rocks that fell from the ceiling and others that were brought to the surface by excavations.

At the southeast end of the chamber is a large stalagmite complex partially blocking the entrance to the large chamber, with stone overlays on the walls and a few stalagmites in the low chamber. There are also old and newer buildings in some areas of the antechamber.

The large hall is oriented from North to South. The entrance is 18m wide (2/3 covered by solid rock and massive stalagmites) and about 14m high. A descend starts right away all the way to the end of the hall, which is 84m long.

In the far left of the large hall of the cave, there is a small chamber, in the niche of which Zeus is believed to have been born. To the right, there is another chamber, much larger, which is divided into two sections by a complex of large columns.

In the first, the visitor can see a pond, the water of which is usually preserved throughout the year, and in the second, the “mantle of Zeus”, a large and very spectacular stalactite, unfortunately damaged by the visitors.

The entire depth of the large hall and especially the area surrounding the pond has a rich and very spectacular natural decoration of large columns, small and large stalagmites, stalactites, and parapet stones. It is one of the most spectacular chambers found in the caves of Crete.

The cave opens into a Jurassic limestone (to the west the limestone is Triassic while to the east it is Cretaceous). The formation of the cave is mainly due to mechanical and chemical erosion of the rock by water.

The cave is only a small part of a system of underground cavities and culverts, which probably continue to the south. In the pond area, the ground is lower than the level of the entrance by about 35m.

Psychro Cave was explored and mapped in February 1963 by a team led by Anna Petrochilou. On 19 July 1970 another mapping was implemented by another team led by E. Platakis.