Gythion Private Tour Option 2

Diros Cave

Starting from the pier in Gythion

Tour Summary-
Type: Free Time, Nature, Scenic Drive
Length: 4 Hours
Walking: Difficult - includes uneven - slippery surfaces
Mobility: NO wheelchairs
Guide: Licensed Guide
Languages: English and Greek
Prices: Scroll Down or Click here for Prices

Just north of the modern Gythion lies the ancient Greek town of Gythion. This area was inhabited during prehistoric times and later, the Spartans used it as a port. They enlarged the natural harbor so that they could use it as a naval base.

After meeting your driver and licensed guide you depart Gythion for the Diros Cave, which was discovered in 1958. Finds in the cave make it clear that it was used as a dwelling place by prehistoric man. The mouth of the cave is close to the shore but high enough to avoid flooding. Side chambers, with stalagmites and stalactites, open off the central cave and are reached through a maze of corridors. Among the finds were weapons, stone and bone tools, Neolithic pottery, rock paintings and complete human skeletons.

The skeletons are those of unburied dead, a fact which has led the Head of Antiquities, who conducted systematic excavations, to suggest that at the close of the Neolithic period or at the beginning of the Bronze Age, a severe earthquake shook the area. Large boulders were dislodged, blocking the mouth of the cave, so that its inhabitants were walled up and died of starvation. The entrance remained sealed for some 4.500 years.

Other finds, including Neolithic shards and a stone ax reveal the existence of a sizable prehistoric settlement whose center contained a plentiful supply of water.

Today the cave is partially filled with water so you will board small fishing boats and visit the cave which is full of stalactites and stalagmites. Each chamber was given a name according to its shape when it was first explored.

After visiting the cave you will have a short amount of free time for shopping or photos.

SPECIAL NOTE: This tour is only available May through September and there is only 1 licensed guide on the island so you must reserve well in advance.

Tour Breakdown:
1- Meet guide and drive to Diros Cave- 1 Hour
2- Visit the Cave- 1 Hour and 15 Minutes
3- Free time for Shopping and Photos- 20 Minutes
4- Return to pier in Gythion- 1 Hour

See More Options in this Port

Private Sightseeing Tours and Shore Excursions from Gythion