The Speleopark that includes the cave-site of Loutra is located in Almopia Plain, in northern Greece (Macedonia), 110 km northwest of Thessaloniki, 13 km of Aridea and 3 km of the Loutraki Village. It consists of 6 caves: two of them are potholes and four rock shelters.

There are some small "isolated" chambers and many karst conduits as well. The formations are located on both slopes of the Nikolaou-Rema gorge. Presently they are dry caves, morphologically very similar.


The greatest interest represent:

Varathron (Pothole) Cave

Varathron Cave is the only show cave of the Speleopark. It developed in the limestone of the northern slope of the gorge and has three entrances. The two main entrances are located at 500 m of altitude, while the third one is at 520m of altitude. The latter is an elliptical -shaped opening that leads into the cave through an inclined hall, the sidewalls of which are covered by thick flowstone. The cave mainly is of horizontal development, approximately at 500m of altitude. There are also vertical passages between 480m to 520m of altitude. In 2004, the new section was discovered. The floor is partially filled by blocks that derive from breakdowns and these chambers show characteristic breakdown morphology. Parts of a recent human skeleton of a middle aged man (according to Prof. Th. Pitsios, Athens Univ.) was found on the floor of the deepest part of the first chamber.


Antarton Cave

Antarton Cave is another horizontally developed cave of the Speleopark, located at 540m of altitude, 40m higher than Varathron Cave. There is one main entrance, almost closed by a fallen block and a secondary small one. Except for the area of the entrance, where there are many fallen blocks, the rest of the cave floor is covered by sediments, flowstones or gours. The cave decoration is rich with stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, false floors etc, while the gours are the most characteristic speleothems of the Speleopark. Antarton cave is one of the largest caves of the Speleopark with many bats and of high archaeological interest.


Bear Cave

Bear Cave is the most interesting and important cave of the Almopia Speleopark because of its great palaeontological interest. It is located at 540m of altitude on the northern slope of Nikolaou-Rema gorge. It is also one of the most well decorated caves of the Speleopark, where stalactites, stalagmites, columns, curtains, cave-corals, cave-pearls, flowstones, false floors and conulites have been recorded. The black colour of the speleothems is predominant. A recent XRD-analysis of a blackish cave coral showed the presence of graphite.