The Dikteon Cave, situated on the Lasithi Plateau, is thought to be the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. The drive into the mountains from the North is a little hair-raising, but the view from the snow capped peaks is well worth traversing the numerous hairpin bends and steep climbs (although I am reliably informed that it is great fun to drive!!).
When you arrive on the plateau, you are greeted by the sight of huge olive groves accompanied by great windmills that dot the landscape before you. There are several villages within the area that contain small cafe-restaurants which are more than adequate for a quick lunch.
Arriving in the car park below the cave, you are immediately stuck by the steep climb you must enjoy (or endure!!) in order to actually see the attraction. There are two options available to get up to the top of the hill...Travelling by foot, or by donkey! As it turned out, there was a fairly steep walk along a path that was full of tourists, and the odd donkey here and there, winding through fairly thick olive groves to the ticket office where for a small fee you can see the cave.
From the heat and dust of the climb, the cool damp air of the cave is a refreshing change. However, the change in light does not help with navigating down the damp, slippy concrete steps down into the abyss below. The formations of stalagites and stalagmites as well as the cave itself are stunning, one of those times where you know the photos will be awful, but you keep taking them anyway!
The further down you go, the chillier it gets. The water filled bottom of the pool often gets to zero degrees Celsius. If you look hard enough you can still see where generations before have left votive offerings which have now been incorporated into the cave itself.
I would recommend making your own transport arrangements to the cave as transport links on the island of Crete are not fantastic. We hired a car for a few days, but some hotels will run tours to the cave as part of a package.
This was a fantastic day out and I would recommend it to anyone who visits this wonderful island.
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