Under the plain landscape of Mani, nature, with incomparable art smilepse a miracle beyond all imagination. Katalefkoi stalactites and stalagmites, impressive "curtains" and astrafteroi crystal j decorate every corner, creating an unparalleled spectacle breathtaking.
Its existence was known to locals since 1900. Nobody suspected but not the miracle that hide inside, until 1949, when the founders of the Greek Speleological Society, John and Anna Petrohilou began to explore systematically.
By 1960 they had explored and mapped 1600 metres while now, the known length of the cave beyond 14 kilometers. The discovery of the cave continues to this day both above and under water, with spilaiokatadyseis.
The cave started formed before hundreds of thousands of years. The stalactites and stalagmites which are under water formed when the surface of the sea was much lower than current levels is characteristic stalactites that have been found at a depth of 71 metres.
The water inside the cave is brackish - hence the name ATHINIOS - and has great toughness. The temperature is 14 degrees Celsius while the air temperature ranges between 17-19 degrees, winter-summer.
The formation of crystals and calcareous rock characterized as unique in the world, forming a apokosmo scene inside the cave, which leaves ekthamvo visitors. As state and varkarides responsible for the tour, the locals have named their unique crystal formations that will meet with names from ancient mythology, such as Hercules, the tread of Poseidon, while the vast cave and divided according to the predominant colour of crystals in "red" House, "White House", "House of the ocean" etc.
The tourist route has a total length of 1,500 metres and the boat tour lasts about half an hour while the length of the cave has not been found yet as we explore today.
While the cave ATHINIOS attracts strong tourists because of unprecedented size and impressive geological formations, a neighboring cave hide treasure for archaeologists and a tragedy for our progonous of the Neolithic Age.
In particular, Alepotrypa, according to the data so far of the investigation, was inhabited during the Modern and the Final Neolithic Age (5.400-3.200 BC) and used as a residence, warehouse goods, laboratory oikotechnikis activity and landfill and worship dead .
According to researchers, a strong earthquake at the end of the 4 th millennium caused extensive apokolliseis rocks from the roof and side walls, stamping the entrance of the cave and egklovizontas users.
