Greece - Didyma ‘craters’

Didyma is a small rural and very quiet village in the middle of nowhere on the Peloponnese between Epidaurus and Porto Cheli. It is (well) known for its craters or caves, which are located one kilometer west of the village in the slope of Mount Didimo.

The Big Cave (Μεγαλη Σπηλια - Megali Spilia), can be seen from the main road. From a distance (main picture) it looks impressive, but once at the edge of the cave - after a short walk - I was rather disappointed, as there is no depth to the cave at all and the ground of the doline is full of debris and some shrubs growing between the rocks.

Much more interesting is the Small Cave (Μικρη Σπηλια - Mikri Spilia), which is situated below ground level and is not visible from the road, as it is also surrounded by trees. The cave is only accessible through a steep stair (PiP1) is leading down into the rock towards the inside of the round doline (PiP2). There is a path going round along two little Byzantine churches: One is Aghios Georgios with its wall murals dating back to the 13th century and the other chapel built into the surrounding rock, the Metamorfosis of Sortiros (PiP3).

There is still some debate today how these cave holes came into being. It is for sure that they were not caused by space meteorites, as no evidence of un-earthly rock has been discovered around the area. Most probably the holes were created by underground natural gas explosions many centuries ago, as there are more similar holes on the opposite side of Mount Didimo.