Kapsia Cave is located in the prefecture of Arcadia, 1.5 km from the village of Kapsia and about 15 km north of Tripoli. It is part of a system of active and inactive sinkholes that drained the Madinia basin. In front of its entrance, three sinkholes are developed, which are today enclosed by a protective semi-circular stone dam built in the 19th century.
The cave has a rich stalagmite decoration with rare colours. Surface finds show that it was used sporadically during the Neolithic period (4th millennium BC), the Hellenistic period (330-146 BC) and from the 4th to the 6th century AD. Several human skeletons (about 50) were found in the cave, from individuals of both sexes and of various ages (from infants of 5-10 months to adults of about 50 years of age).
The development works in the Capsia Cave were completed in 2009. The cave was opened for the first time on 10 October 2010, after the concession of operation and exploitation by the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture.
The management, operation and exploitation of the highlighted part of the cave belongs to the Municipality of Tripoli and the responsibility is exercised by the Department of Local Economic Development, Culture and Tourism – Department of Employment, Culture and Tourism, by the current Internal Organization of the Municipality. Tel. 2713610454.
The Municipality of Tripoli has assumed the use of the highlighted part of the cave and the external facilities for the reception and service of visitors.
The external facilities of the cave include the Support Building, with the theater, the surrounding area of the cave, the parking areas and the building that serves as a cafeteria-restaurant, which the Municipality leases.
How to get to the cave
To visit the cave from the Corinth-Tripoli highway, head towards Tripoli and a few kilometers earlier, immediately after the toll of Nestani, exit the highway and follow the provincial road towards Vytina. While heading towards the ski resort of Mainalo, the first village you will come across is Kapsia. Following the signs in the village, at a distance of 1.5 km, you will find the cave of Kapsia.