- Sfakia now draws international attention thanks to findings from the Sternes Cave expedition.
- The Sternes chasm ranks in depth and length among Greece’s top four caves.
- The International Speleological Expedition “Lefka Ori – Sternes 2017–2024” united researchers from seven countries.
- Scientific discoveries span geology, biology, and hydrology.
- This newfound status shines a bright, if somewhat eerie, spotlight on Crete’s underground offerings.
- The 2025 mission plans further exploration and research in the region.
- Local authorities and the Speleological Club of Crete champion the area’s scientific significance.
Before Sfakia’s rise as a speleological hotspot, most headlines about the region involved goats, legends, and the occasional sheep with an attitude problem. But nothing puts a mountain village on the map—literally like a spot on the international speleological map—quite like the discovery of a vast underground abyss filled with secrets, mud, and the kind of darkness tourists love to photograph.
Sternes Cave didn’t just wow researchers with its impressive size. At 2,085 meters above Anopoli, and boasting a depth of 722 meters along with nearly eight kilometers of tunnels, it now ranks fourth in Greece for both depth and length. Forget the Acropolis. This is Greece’s underground answer to the Eiffel Tower, minus the crowds and overpriced coffee.
Over seven years, the “Lefka Ori – Sternes 2017–2024” expedition became the kind of group project where nobody slacked off. Forty-five speleologists from Greece, the UK, the US, Italy, Australia, France, and Slovenia all squeezed themselves into the same cave—presumably for science, not just an excuse to escape family holidays. Their findings uncovered new insights into the area’s geology, water systems, and the odd creatures that call utter darkness home. If these discoveries haven’t made Crete’s caves cool yet, nothing will.
Scientific Discoveries Meet Crete’s Unique Brand of Hospitality
The recent presentation of these results left local officials somewhere between delighted and alarmed at the prospect of what comes next. The mayor of Sfakia, Yiannis Zervos, declared unwavering support for anything that keeps the region in the news for reasons other than an EU cheese subsidy. In partnership with the Speleological Club of Crete (SPOK), the local government now ponders how caves (and the people who crawl through them) can help diversify the area’s stubbornly traditional tourism scene.
One would struggle to invent a better story arc: once just the stuff of local myths, the White Mountains now offer evidence of scientific miracles, or at least some truly dedicated mud enthusiasts and a flourishing alternative tourism scene. The old narrative—goats and wild herbs—slinks off to the shadows, making way for the thunderous applause of headlamps flickering in muddy passageways.
The Next Deep Dive: Sternes 2025 Mission
Ambitious? Perhaps. The next phase runs from August 23rd to September 7th, 2025. Transfers from Anopoli to the camp will operate promptly at noon on select days. (Apparently, if you can plumb a 700-meter abyss, you can also stick to a timetable—sometimes.) Participants are expected to arrange their own rides on other dates.
The mission? Take a wild guess:
- Probe deeper into Sterne’s chasm and side branches (Ichor River, the Labyrinth, Con-Crete Canyon, Pozzo Enorme climb, Beautiful Rosa meander).
- Collect new samples from the foreign residents (yes, even the microbes).
- Undertake geological measurements—because the earth never gets tired of being measured.
- Photograph formations that rarely see light outside PowerPoint slides.
- Extend detailed mapping to replace local legends with cold, hard numbers.
- Conduct surface fieldwork—the kind that involves less mud, but more sunburn.
- Occasionally, clear tight passages or reinforce tricky spots for safety.
- Participants should consult the formal mission application for the nitty-gritty.
For those considering participation, bring your sense of adventure—and snacks. Form available here: Google Forms.
