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Diros
Diros is a village in the Mani region of the southern Peloponnese, best known for the nearby Diros Caves (Vlychada Cave), a large system of water-filled caverns explored by boat. The caves are one of the most visited natural attractions in the Mani peninsula.
History
The toponym "Dirou" is first documented in 1336; the settlement is organized around the fortified Mani tower-houses typical of the region, with a notable six-storey tower complex at Petrovouni built in 1832 by the Sklavounakos family. On the night of 21-22 June 1826, Egyptian-Ottoman forces under Ibrahim Pasha attacked Diros beach while most Maniot men were away; the village's women repelled the attack with scythes and improvised weapons, an event still commemorated locally. The area's caves were unknown to modern science until the mid-20th century: Vlychada/Glyfada cave was explored from 1949 by speleologists Ioannis and Anna Petrocheilos and opened to the public in 1967, while the adjacent Alepotrypa cave, discovered in 1958, proved to be one of the largest Neolithic burial sites in Europe.
Where to Stay
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Charia Pirgou Dhirou 23063 Pýrgos Diroú, Pýrgos, Grèce, 23063
+ 30 27330 52922
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Eat & Drink
- No photoEat & DrinkKampinara
Kampinara is a taverna on the road to the Diros Caves in Pyrgos Dirou, serving Greek grill and Mediterranean dishes to visitors touring the caves.
Cave Diros Road, Pyrgos Dirou, 23063, Lakonia
+30 2733 052256
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Things to Do
- No photoThings to DoHeroine Maniatissa
A monument on Diros beach commemorating the Battle of Diros on the night of 21-22 June 1826, when the village's women defended the shore with scythes and improvised weapons against Egyptian-Ottoman forces under Ibrahim Pasha while most Maniot men were away fighting elsewhere.
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Claim this business - No photoThings to DoΣπήλαια Διρού
The Diros Caves (also known as Vlychada or Glyfada Cave) are a system of water-filled caverns in Diros Bay explored by small boat through underground lake passages lined with stalactites and stalagmites. First systematically explored in 1949 by speleologists Ioannis and Anna Petrocheilos, the cave opened to the public in 1967 and is one of the most-visited natural attractions in the Mani.
Diros Bay, Pyrgos Dirou, 23062, Lakonia
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Claim this business - No photoThings to DoΣπήλαιο Αλεπότρυπα
Alepotrypa Cave is a separate, mostly dry cave about 220 metres from the Diros Caves boat-tour site, discovered in 1958. It is one of the largest Neolithic burial sites in Europe, occupied roughly 5300-3200 BC, and now houses the Museum of Neolithic Civilization of Diros rather than offering boat tours.
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