Milatos cave, Archaeological cave site near Milatos village, Crete, Greece.

Milatos cave lies one kilometre east of Milatos village in the Agios Nikolaos municipality of Crete. It covers 2,100 square metres, reaches a maximum depth of 73 metres and a width of 63 metres, with ceilings between half a metre and three metres high. A 300-metre footpath leads from a roadside rest area to the entrance, above which an inscription recalls the events of 1823.

In February 1823, during the Greek Revolution, an Egyptian-Turkish army under Hassan Pasha besieged the cave, where 2,000 to 3,600 Greek Christians from Neapoli and the surrounding area had taken refuge. The entrance was bombarded with artillery, and the refugees surrendered on 15 February. Most men were killed, the priests burned, and the younger women and children sold into slavery.

Part of the cave was converted in 1935 into a small chapel of the Apostle Thomas. Beside it stands an ossuary holding bones of the Christians killed in 1823, found at the site. On the Sunday after Easter a feast in honour of Thomas is held here and the dead are commemorated.

Bring a flashlight or headlamp since most of the cave is dark and interior details are only visible with artificial light. Wear sturdy shoes with good grip and move carefully, as the ground is uneven and can be slippery in places.

The cave measures 2,100 square metres, reaches a depth of 73 metres and a width of 63 metres, yet its ceiling is only half a metre to three metres high, so most of the interior must be crossed bent over. An inscription above the entrance recalls the events of 1823.