Gourgouthakas Cave

The precipice Gourgouthakas is the deepest cave precipice of Greece and the second in the Balkans. Access is almost impossible by anyone and can only be achieved by experienced cavers. The second largest cave precipice of Greece is also in Crete and is known as Tafkoura. It is located on the site "Atzines" of the White Mountains (Chania) and east of the peak of the Holy Spirit in Melidoni area.

Gourgouthakas means a small cutting on rocks, in which rain water is collected and from which animals drink water. The cave was discovered in 1990 by the French Speleological Club “Catamaran”. The same group, after numerous failed attempts, managed to reach the bottom of the deep cave (-1208m), on August 1998. In the bottom, there is a nice "siphon" (small lake with water). Even from there it is possible to dive to further explore of the cave, but this hasn’t been done yet. There are also indications of another entrance, which is even higher, thereby increasing the depth of 1208m