The deepest cave in the Cyclades, reaching a depth of 132 meters and featuring wells and chambers adorned with impressively rich decorations, was discovered by a scientific expedition in the Agios Stefanos area of Amorgos. The cave came to light following a tip from a French resident of the island, and for that reason, it has been officially named “Vóthonas tou Gallou” (“The Frenchman’s Chasm”) and registered by the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology.

The scientific expedition, titled “Amorgos Cave Expedition 2024,” took place on the island last autumn with the support and sponsorship of the Municipality of Amorgos, and it is scheduled to continue this coming October. The expedition leader and organizer was cave explorer Prodromos Koulelis who, as he told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, was among those who reached the bottom of the cave, descending vertically in one go down to 90 meters!

“While exploring the island for caves with the team, a Frenchman named Lonaïs who lives there told us he had found one during a walk behind the village of Tholaria. I told him that if the information was correct, the cave would bear his name—because whoever maps it, names it. So, he joined our team, and after a tough hike through rough terrain full of stones, brambles, and mastic trees, we found it. The cave descended about 35 meters but not continuously. Then Lonaïs, who had training in rope descent, asked to go further down. While exploring, he found a crack behind a large boulder, which led to the opening that allowed us to descend the remaining depth of the cave,” describes Mr. Koulelis, clarifying that in local terminology, “vóthonas” means a vertical shaft or abyss.

After descending into the newly discovered cave himself, he spoke of the awe he felt, as well as the ever-present fear that lurks in the back of one’s mind—something that one learns to manage over time.

“Even though we constantly discover new caves, the beauty of nature never ceases to amaze—especially beauty that so few people ever get to see,” says Mr. Koulelis, who is a cheesemaker by profession and a speleologist by passion, “because he’s crazy about it,” as he puts it.

The deepest cave in the Cyclades—though deeper ones may still be found—was first recorded in fall 2024, with biological samples taken and research results awaited for scientific publication

The cave, while currently considered the deepest in the Cyclades, does not rule out the possibility that a deeper one might yet be discovered. It was first officially documented in the fall of 2024, during which biological samples were collected. The results of the analysis are expected to be published in a scientific journal.

“In early October, we’ll return to Amorgos,” says Mr. Koulelis, “because we received information from locals about other caves. We don’t have exact coordinates, as some caves are unmarked, and sometimes you discover them by squeezing through a hole barely large enough to fit through—only to find a vast chasm inside.”

The Amorgos Cave Expedition 2024 team, composed of 18 cave explorers and scientists, documented a total of 21 known and previously unknown caves and cave formations on the island. Of those, 12 were explored and studied in detail.

More details about the Amorgos cave expedition will be presented during the Cavers Fest 2025 – Agrafa, Greece, which will take place from May 16 to 18, 2025.