Caves Matala
Man-made sandstone cave tombs turned nineteen-sixties hippie commune above a crescent beach.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Caves Matala near Heraklion follows Roman-era tombs cut into the cliff two thousand years ago, and what happened when a wandering crowd of young foreigners in the 1960s realized an empty tomb makes free rent. It traces one arrival in particular, a heartbroken Canadian singer named Joni Mitchell, who moved into a cave here after a chance meeting with an American cook working a beachside cafe. She spent weeks sleeping on beach pebbles laid over the old stone burial slabs.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Matala beach
Sandstone cliff riddled with ancient man-made caves that briefly became a legendary nineteen-sixties hippie commune.
Cave of Diktaion Andron
Sacred cavern of stalactites and a still pool, believed by ancient worshippers to be the birthplace of Zeus.
Bembo fountain
Renaissance fountain built from a Roman sarcophagus, topped by a headless ancient statue.
Paralia Agia Pelagia
Sheltered bay of golden sand ringed by low hills, with a legend-linked cave at its northern edge.
Archaeological Site of Hagia Triada
Minoan hilltop villa and cemetery yielding painted sarcophagi, Linear A tablets, and vivid relief carvings.