Panagia Arkoudiotissa Dependency

The Arkoudospilios (Cave of Panagia Arkoudiotissa) is on the Akrotiri peninsula near the Monastery of Gouverneto in Chania. A two-kilometre path through the Avlaki Gorge leads to its entrance. The cave takes its name from a stalagmite that resembles a bear stooping to drink from a small pool. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary turned the bear to stone as punishment for stealing the monks’ scarce water. Inscriptions found inside suggest it was once a place of worship for Apollo and Artemis. Today, a small chapel dedicated to Panagia Arkoudiotissa stands within the cave, celebrated on 2 February (the Feast of the Presentation of Christ). On the eve of the feast, locals light fires and stay overnight, which has blackened the cave’s roof.