Dikteon Cave

The Dikteon Cave (or Dikteon Andron) is one of the Most Beautiful Caves in Greece and is well-known for Crete's 3,000 caves and Greece's 8,500 caves. According to legend, Zeus was born in the magnificent Dikteon Cave, which is rich in stalagmites and stalactites. This is why the Dikteon Cave was already famous in antiquity, dedicated to the worship of the greatest of the gods, as evidenced by the numerous offerings discovered there. Today, the Dikteon Cave attracts a large number of visitors, who are no longer worshipers but rather travelers from all over the world. According to legend, Rhea gave birth to Zeus in this cave to protect him from his cannibal father, Cronos. Today, visitors can see numerous rock formations around a lake. There are two trails leading to the cave from nearby Psychro, one shaded and one sunny.

The Dikteon Cave is located at an elevation of 1025 meters on the northern slopes of Mount Dicte, which dominates the Lassithi Plateau and the entire island of Crete. Because the cave is close to the village of Psychro, it is also known as Psychro Cave. Follow the paved path with oak trees on either side from Psychro. For the more daring, there are donkeys at the beginning of the path that will take you up to the Dikteon Cave. At the end of the short path, just before the cave entrance, it's worth pausing to catch your breath, take in the panoramic view of the entire plateau, and breathe in the fresh mountain air scented with thyme, sage, and other aromatic herbs native to the area. It's a wonderful feeling, making you believe that the Dikteon Cave was not chosen by chance as the site of such a significant event as the birth of Zeus, Father of the Gods of Olympus.

Location: Lasithi, Crete, Greece