The Carved Caves of Azogires

The Carved Caves of Azogires.

View from the inside of the larger cave - note the Alpha Kafenion across the valley!


Drive, or walk, away from the Alpha Kafenion in the direction of Sougia. About 1 km past the Alpha, take the first road on the right; it’s just past Agio Theodoros church.

Go over /through the ford across the road and carry on up the hill for about 800 metres. Ignore the first small pathway on your right hand side, this leads down to some shepherds’ huts, and take the obvious, unpaved, farm road on your right hand side, just by some large rocks.

Keeping the high ground to your left, follow this road to a gate across it. Go through the gate, making sure you shut it after you, round a bend and there you will be facing the Carved Caves. From the paved road it will take about 12 –15 minutes walk

The lower cave is accessible by an iron ladder and the upper chambers accessible, to those with a good head for heights, by steps on the rock face with assistance from a permanent rope handrail.

The caves themselves have a long history of occupation and inside them can be seen carved cisterns used for water storage, the water being channelled through the limestone rock into the holding tanks. There are also carved storage shelves used in the past for storing food.

Looking at the caves it’s easy to see how and why they were used as a place of refuge; one person at the entrance of the upper cave can deny entry to an army.