Stylokamara Cave (Sellai)

Southwest of Agia Marina, hidden behind an inconspicuous path, lies a second, lesser-known sacred cave of Kasos: Sellai, or Stylokamara. Impressive stalactites, traces of Mycenaean worship and a view that embraces almost the entire southern part of the island make it a destination for the most adventurous visitors.

Sellai Cave, also known as Stylokamara, is located about two kilometers southwest of Agia Marina, southwest of neighboring Ellinokamara. Access is exclusively via a barely discernible path to the «Chadies» location, which makes it a more demanding destination compared to the more organized and accessible Ellinokamara cave. Its dimensions —about 30 by 8 meters, depending on the source— and the impressive system of stalactites and stalagmites inside it make it one of the most naturally spectacular places on the island.

Like the Hellenic Arch, Sellai bears traces of long-term human use: its entrance has been blocked since antiquity with an isodomic wall that ends in two openings, while the findings from the interior of the cave include ceramics from various periods, including the Mycenaean. This evidence leads researchers to the conclusion that the cave functioned as a place of worship from the Mycenaean era to the Hellenistic period — a time period parallel to that of the Hellenic Arch, which reinforces the image of a broader religious use of the island's caves in antiquity.

Shelter and lookout

In addition to its cultic use in antiquity, the cave seems to have later acquired a more practical role: it served as a refuge for the locals during periods of pirate raids, thanks to its isolated and inaccessible location. This same location today offers visitors one of the best views of the island: in front of the cave, the view reaches as far as Agios Konstantinos and Antiperatos —where the eponymous monument for the Holocaust of 1824 is located— as well as Armathia and the rest of the Kasonisia islands. The cave is currently registered as a visitable speleological site (code GR4210001) within the framework of European cave protection programs, a fact that confirms its importance beyond its local reputation.