Dikteon Cave

The Dikteon Andron opens on the slope of Mount Dikti above Psychro at about 1,025 metres, and myth made it the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus, concealed from his father Kronos by his mother Rhea while the Kouretes drowned his cries with their shields. The cave was a cult site for centuries: excavation in 1900 recovered thousands of votive offerings, bronze figurines, double axes, weapons and jewellery, wedged into crevices of the stalactites, now in Heraklion. The visit descends about eighty metres through a large chamber to a small underground lake, past dense formations lit along the route. The approach from the car park is a stepped path of some fifteen minutes, uphill and rocky, with donkeys available for those who prefer.

The landscape

• The main chamber - a large cave descending to an underground pool.
• The formations - stalactites and columns where votives were once wedged.
• The approach path - a stepped climb from the plateau with wide views.
• The plateau below - Lasithi's fields spread out from the cave mouth.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the walk up in comfort; the cave itself is cool year-round. Winter access can be blocked by snow. Mornings avoid the coach groups from the north coast.

Practical notes

The path up is steep and uneven, and the descent inside involves many wet steps and slippery rock. The finds are all in Heraklion. The site is heavily commercialised at the car park with stalls and pressure to hire donkeys.

Nearby

Psychro village is below; the Lasithi plateau villages ring the plain beyond.

Key facts