The Rock of “Kallikatsou”

According to the legend, the Stone of Kallikaltsou is nothing but the curse of a mother that was really effective: Lured by the beautiful sea of ​​the bay, having just received Communion, a girl wanted to dive in its water. Her mother forbade her to do so, but she insisted, causing the anger of the first. Furious, she shouted: “Go and become stone”. And so did she.

As for the name of the place, Kallikatsou is the name often given to searavens (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii) of the islands, a black seabird that reminds of the cormorant, and whose nests are on this cliff.

Researchers believe that the Stone – also known as the Rock – of Kallikaltsou, is actually an archaeological site where, from prehistoric to historic times (1100 BC-4^th century AD), there was an open-air sanctuary with continuous worship, probably dedicated to Aphrodite. Carved stairs, the cave, artificial cavities and niches for the placement of the offerings and water tanks are elements that would be necessary for the ancient rites. Other findings in the area of ​​the archaeologist Paul Triantaphyllides tend to support this theory; namely, stone tools and superficial pottery, prove that this rock was inhabited during the Late Bronze Age (1100 BC).

As it often happens, the elements of the ancient temple have changed use with the establishment of Christianity, when it was converted into a hermitage, and the monks used the existing sites as hermitages until the 14th century AD

Finally, it is worth pointing out that, geologically, the Rock of Kallikatsou is a volcanic rock since the era of volcanic activity in the region (four million years ago), that was formed by the splice of many volcanic bullets, while its figure proceeds from the way of connection of the materials of the basaltic lava from which it came.