Agios Galaktos Cave

The Agio Galas Cave, in northwestern Chios near the village of the same name, is one of the island’s most important natural and archaeological monuments. It consists of three superimposed caves that communicate with each other, with the lowest—and largest—open to the public. According to local legend, a leprous daughter of a Byzantine emperor was cured here by drinking the cave’s milky liquid, hence the name “Agio Galas” (“Holy Milk”). At the entrance stands the chapel of Panagia Agiogalousaina (13th–14th c.), and inside there is also a small church dedicated to Saint Anna. Excavations revealed finds from the Middle and Late Neolithic periods, such as vessels, tools, and figurines, which are kept in the museums of Chios and Athens. With its striking formations and fairy‑tale natural setting, the cave is a unique attraction and a key driver of tourism for northwestern Chios.