The Greek Caves - A Complete Guide to the Most Important Greek Caves

One of the first Greek lady mountaineers, rock climbers, co-founder of the Hellenic Society Speleological Society and for 18 successive years its President, Vice President and Secretary. She attended lessons in Speleology for three years at the Sorbonne and is the permanent representative of Greece and the Hellenic Speleological Society at international and national Speleological Congresses. She has explored more than one thousand caves, fissures and subterranean rivers in Greece and all those caves exploited as tourist attractions are due to her efforts. She has also visited the major caves and underground water courses in Europe and America. Her personal endurance record is the Tanetal Hohle in Austria 8,500 meters long and 400m deep where she spent two nights at a distance of 6,000m and depth of 350m, with zero temperature and 100 per cent humidity. Anna Petrocheilou is also the first Greek woman to have set foot on the highest summits of Olympus and the Alps, to have crossed the "Black Glacier" at Spitzbergen and to have scaled the Nuna Tax. She has ventured as far as the 81st degree of the North Pole. In Greece she was the first woman to have conquered the peaks of Bardousia range, "Megali Soufla" and "Kato Psili", "Yampeia" (the right-hand of the two Phaidriades at Delphi), "Kouko" Parnassos, where she spent the night half way up the face, harnessed by a rope secured in the rock with a nail. It was she who first discovered a tooth of the Cave Baear in Greece (1956, Perama Cave Ioannina), low browed skulls of primitive man, as well as rock engravings by him ("Alepotrypa"Cave, Diros 1958) and petrified coprolites of carnivorous animals ("Kokkines Petres" Cave, Petralona, Chalkidiki, 1961). Author of the numerous articles and studies on speleological subjects, in scientific journals and encyclopedias, she has also edited two guide books to the Perama cave at Ioannina and the "Alepotrypa" Cave at Diros.For the past 35 years she has made regular contributions on caves to the Bulletin of the Hellenic Speleological Society. In recognition of her services to Speleological Research she has been awarded the following distinctions: -Gold metal of the city of Ioannina (1956) for the Perama cave -Gold metal of the Czechoslovakian Academy (1973) as an international authority on Speleology. -Silver medal of Kleitoleukasia (1983) for the "Ton Limnon" Cave at Kastria. -Bronze medal of the Pireus Club and Nature lovers' Club "Pan". -Academy of Athens Prize (1976) for her contribution to the development of Speleology in Greece. -Prize of the Union of Greek Journalists and Writers on Tourism for her work. -Honorary diplomas from several Nature-lovers' Clubs in recognition of her work. -Honorary diplomas from several Nature-lovers' Club "Pan". -Honorary distinction of the Hellenic Speleology Society for her three decades of service -Honorary distinction of the Union of Smyrniotes for her cultural activities. -Her name has been given to the troglodytic species "Group Dolichopoda petrocheilosina" by the French Biospeleologist Boudou. - She has been declared an honorary member of various cultural societies, and has been given the freedom of several towns and villages in Greece for her contribution to Speleology.

Introduction, 6; The Cave of Glyfada or Vlychada, 11; The Cave of Alepotrypa, 20; The Cave "Katafygi", 26; The Cave "Ton Limnon", 30; The Cave "Peristeri", 36; The Cave Koutouki, 38; The Cave of Perama, 42; The Cave Anemotrypa, 50; The sink-holes of Argostoli, 56; The Cave Drongorati, 58; The Lake Cave of Melissani, 62; The Cave of the Nymphs or Marmarospilia, 64; The Cave "Papanikolis", 66; The marine caves of Paxoi, 68; The caves of the Lake Great Prespa, 70; The Cave of St. George, 80; The Cave "Kokkines Petres", 84; The Cave of Alistrati, 88; The subterranean river Maara, 92; The Cave of the Cyclops Polyphemos, 94; The marine caves of Milos, 100; The Cave of Antiparos or Oliaros, 109; The Cave of Agios Ioannis, 113; The Cave "Koutala", 116; The Cave of Agia Sophia, 120; The Cave of Agia Sophia, Kissamos, 124; The Cave of Sedoni, 129; OTHER CAVES OF INTEREST, 132-160; The Cave of Hermes, 132; The Cave Artemission, 132; The Swallow-hole "Kapsia", 134; The Cave of Dionysos, 134; The Cave of Agios Andreas, 134; The Cave "Giorgaina", 135; The Cave Katafygi, Laconia, 135; The Cave "Katafygi", Messenia, 136; The Cave "Katafygi-Batsinidis", 137; The Cave of Lykourgos, 137; The Cave Keratea, 137; The Cave "Sotiros", 138; The Cave of Profitis Ilias, 138; The Cave of Profitis Ilias, Hymettos, 139; The Cave of "Nympholiptos", 139; The Corycian Cave or Sarandauli, 140. The Cave of the Catacombs, 141; The Cave of Zographos, 141; The Alabaster Cave, 142; The Cave "Angalaki", 143; The Cave of the Dragon, 143; The Cave Eftamylon, 144; The Cave of Agia Eleni or Kryoneri, 145; The Dryad's Cave, 145; The Cave "Agiogialousaina", 146; The Caves of Samos, 147; The Cave of "Zeus" or of the "Bacchids", 148; The Catacombs of Milos, 148; The Cave "Katafyki", 149; The Cave of Kephala, 150; The Cave of the Seven Virgins, 151; The Cave of Skalia or Daskalio, 151; The Cave of "Koumellos", 151; The "Blue Grotto", 152; The Cave Gouverneto, 153; The Cave of Gerani, 153; The Cave of Melidoni or Gerontospilia, 154; The Cave of Aspendou, 155; Idaean Cave, 155; The Cave of Agia Paraskeve, 156; The Cave of Eileithyia, 157; The Labyrinth of Gortys, 157; The Cave of Milatos, 158; The Dictaean Cave, 159; Other Cretan Caves, 160; These caves are accessible to visitors.