Location: Mani, Laconia Map
Cost: €15
Open: Nov- Mar 8:30am- 3pm daily
Apr- Oct 8:30am- 5:30pm
Pyrgos Dirou Caves are located on the western shores of the Laconia peninsula in Greece. These underground natural tunnels are covered by stalagmites and stalactites. More than 5,000 meters of the caves are explored on foot and by small boats. Archeological digs under supervision of Dr. George Papathanasopoulos reveal that Dirou Caves served ancient people as a refuge in the Paleolithic and Neolithic times. People lived, here, stored their good in the deep regions of the cave, buried their dead and even prayed their spirits. An easy life ended however with a massive landslide that entombed few residents that were not killed by initial shocks of an earthquake. Their skeletons were left on the surface of Pyrgos Dirou Caves suggesting that they died either from lack of oxygen or starvation. During World War II Pyrgos Dirou Caves were used by the Greek Resistance for hiding.