On the southern sides of Halepa hill, lies the Sfendoni Cave (also known as Zoniana Cave), a highlight of the Mylopotamos prefecture. One of Greece’s most beautiful visitable caves, the Sfendoni Cave is part of the Psiloritis Natural Park, included in the UNESCO Global Geoparks. At an altitude of 630m, the cave features rich decoration with stalactites and stalagmites, as well as water basins, and visitors can take guided tours. Steel walkways with ropes have been placed in the cave for more security and to increase access for people with disabilities.
The cave has a maximum length of 145m and an area of about 3000sqm, but visitors can only see about 2/3 of its total area, walking along a 270-meter corridor. There are massive columns that create labyrinthine compartments inside the cave, while many stalactites and stalagmites with different colors and shapes decorate the 14 rooms of the cave. In several places, there are stony water basins. You can see the so-called “cave pearls”; calcareous compactions of concentric growth that develop in shallow cave ponds. The glowing tiny crystals of calcium carbonate are also particularly impressive.
The cave is the habitat to four species of bats and dozens of species of invertebrates including molluscs, spiders, pseudoscorpions, isopods, bipeds, collembolans, and orthoptera, some of which are colorless and blind, while at least two species have been found to be unique in this cave. Archaeologically speaking, excavations have shown that the cave has been used by shepherds for thousands of years. The dating of pottery findings show that there has been a continuous but not intensive use of the cave from the Neolithic era to date.
Many years ago, a skeleton of a small child was discovered in the last chamber of the cave, embalmed in limestone material, evidence that it had been there for several centuries. It is possible that the child entered the cave and lost their way out inside the labyrinthine chambers.
The name of the cave
The Cave of Zoniana is also known by locals as “The Hole of Sfentonis.” This name comes from a rebel from Sfakia, Sfentonis, who hid in the cave and there are many myths and traditions associated with him. It is said that while he was cooking meat at the entrance of the cave, a boy approached him to ask for some food. Sfentonis, whose hiding place had been discovered, became angry and kicked the boy so hard that he killed him on the spot.
According to another legend, a beautiful fairy lived in the cave and every day at the same time, the fairy would come out of the cave to quench her thirst at a nearby spring. A shepherd had seen her several times and fell in love with her. He tried to catch her but she escaped and hid in the cave. When she next passed by him, he hit and injured her with his slingshot. The injured fairy managed to run and vanish in the cave, but she dropped her bloody handkerchief at the entrance of the cave where the shepherd found it.
Another legend says that the shepherd approached the wounded fairy and tried to kiss her. She stopped him and threw him a rod that would never run out of silk thread. However, being in love, the shepherd kissed her and she cursed him and his family to have trembling hands forever.
Info: Sfentoni Cave, Zoniana Tel: 283 4061734 €5 admission
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