Northwest of the village of Skoteino is the cave of Agia Paraskevi.

Inside the entrance is a large chamber, the “Great Temple” (130 m long, 33 m wide and 30 m high), containing impressive groups of stalagmites and stalactites. The next chamber, known as the “Hall of the Altar”, is smaller (24x8.5x25 m) and there is evidence that it was used for sacrifices. A passage from the left-hand corner of the first chamber leads down into the “Inner Sanctum”, a chamber measuring15x8x3 m. 

From here another corridor leads back up into the first chamber by another entrance. A 12-metre corridor between the Hall of the Altar and the Inner Sanctum leads to the dome-like “Hall of Worship” (12x12x14) with its spectacular natural décor. A 4-metre upwards passage leads to the “Hall of Prayer”, while at the end there is a small, narrow cavity (the locals call it the “Ekklisaki” or “little church”). 

The cave is 170 m long in section, with a total area of about 2,500 square metres and a tourist path of 450 m. It has not been systematically excavated, but research has shown that it was used as a place of worship during the Minoan period. Many of the stalagmites bear traces of carving and they may have been objects of worship.