Corycian Cave — Attraction in Delphi Municipality

If you visit Delphi then don't fail to visit Korykian Cave (Korikio Andro as it is known locally) at 4100 feet elevation on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, so long as you have the physical ability. The two basic ways to reach it from Delphi are to hike or drive, and either way you'll be getting some uphill exercise. Hiking from Delphi is a bit arduous and takes an entire day there and back. Even if you drive you'll need to do some rather steep hiking. I drove to it (in April 2023) and the access road was far too rough for a sedan to reach the stairs up to the cave, perhaps even beyond a typical four-wheel drive, so I parked below and hiked a mile or less up the very rocky, all uphill roadway. I had a GPS in the car which proved extremely helpful. Hiking this rough road after leaving the car behind makes you realize this is a genuine wilderness area, quite removed from the hectic tourism of Delphi. At the end of the rocky road you'll see a sign to the cave (which, sadly, has the ubiquitous graffiti on it) where you turn right up some stairs carved into the rock. It is at this point where the tremendous views down into the valley become a photo opportunity. Korykian Cave does not at first present itself as much, the yawning mouth not the largest cave entrance, and it is so dark inside you don't at first realize how far back it goes. It is cooler in temperature, which is welcome after both the exercising hike and the temperatures without. The cave ceiling, which reaches more than 160 feet, is jagged with stalactites in places; not so dramatic as you'll find in other cave sites like those in Slovenia or Austria. There is a famous stalagmite called the "table" which in antiquity was used for votive offerings. One of the first things you'll see below the entrance is a ring of stones that somebody took time to build. It has an additional small pile of rocks in the middle of the ring. When I visited the rocks had several fresh cut lilies on them, apparently a pagan homage to the gods/goddesses who at various times called this cave home. French archaeologists have shown that cult activity in the cave stretches all the way back to the Neolithic period. They also found more than 22,000 astralagoi, i.e., "dice" made from knucklebones; usually astralagoi are made from sheep and goat bones, but the majority in Korykian Cave are from local deer. Astralagoi were not just used for games, similar to today, but also were used for divinitory purposes (called Astralagomancy). As for classical Greek mythology, the cave by reputation is thought to be connected with Dionysus, but the epigraphical evidence is more closely associated with Pan and the Nymphs (as was also supported by Pausanias, who in fact said that the cave is named after the Nymph Korykia). Some scholars conjecture that Korykian Cave was a dice oracle for peasants (using astralagoi) as a less expensive alternative to Delphi. Pan and the Nymphs, by the way, always seem to go together; see for example the oracle of Pan and the Nymphs at Caesarea Philippi in Israel near Mount Hermon. Scholars feel these deity distinctions were somewhat blurred here such that Dionysus was also connected with the Nymphs, not to mention Hermes. Likewise, the cave is associated with the great serpent-like Typhon since Zeus threw the defeated monster into it. After walking down into the cave from the entrance it will start up again at the back, but here the footing is wet, quite slippery, and treacherous. If you are bull-headed enough to attempt a climb to the very back reaches then be careful, bring a good light source, and a hard hat would help due to the narrowness of those...

An incomparable hike: should be in guidebooks as a must-see—but, lucky for you, most guidebooks don’t! That said, it’s a tough one, especially in summer (I hiked in August). It’s 20 km/ 12 mi from Delphi, which took me about 3 hours each way, not counting lunch and looking at the cave. It’s a trail out of Delphi, then an amble across countless goat paths through farmland and (empty) roads for most of the way, until you get the last stage, which is a narrow gauntlet of rocks and spiny shrubs for the whole ascent to the cave. Many hiking reviews mention headlamps—I’d also wished I’d had knee-high gaiters, and you might too, just to save your poor calves from the spines if you’re wearing shorts. Also be aware of goats (domestic and wild), cattle, and free range dogs (lots of barking, no one chased me, but that could be luck). Some material online mentions refills for water but, to be specific, there’s one (1) place to fill water outside a little church you’ll pass on the left, shortly before you leave the road. You’ll pass many defunct water options before you ever see that church, but don’t give up hope, the water is there! You’ll have phone signal the whole way but, due to the heat, I’d strongly recommend downloading the map from AllTrails and putting your phone on airplane mode to save battery. The cave itself is eerie and beautiful—and gloriously cold! Like jumping in cool water on a hot day. You’ll also see signs of people partying but also leaving offerings. The cave was sacred to Pan, doing either or both is entirely...

The most impressive cave of Parnassos unfolds its secrets. Pan’s Cave or Corycian Cave, at an altitude of 1.360 m. at the south west part of Parnassos, within a beautiful forest with firs and a great view, was dedicated to the God Pana and the Corycian Nymphs. It has a global reputation, not only for its natural beauty but also for the magic created by the ancient myth, where according to Aeschylus the cave was a place that was visited by divine spirits. Pierre Amandry explored the cave in 1970, brought into the cold light findings from the Neolithic era and evidences that prove that the area was a place of worship of the ancient gods. After a wonderful route, we admired the natural sculptures that have been created by the stalactites and the...