What do Neolithic settlers and 1960s hippies have in common? In the sunny coastal town of Matala, in southern Crete, these two unlikely groups share a surprising connection within a well-known tourist spot.
The Neolithic Hippie Caves of Matala
This is the story of the Matala Caves and their journey from being mysterious ancient tombs, to their rebirth as a bohemian enclave, to today being a tourist draw.
The coastal town of Matala is located roughly 70km south of Iraklion, the vibrant capital of Crete. For half the year, it becomes almost a ghost town, with its permanent residents numbering only around 300, a figure some consider exaggerated, as they are often outnumbered by the many cats wandering through its deserted streets.
As warmer weather returns and April marks the start of the tourist season, Matala comes alive. Music drifts from bars, restaurants extend onto the streets, and the beach is filled with lounge chairs, making Matala one of Crete’s most popular tourist spots.
There’s more than one thing that attracts tourists to Matala each year, such as the stunning landscapes around the Red Beach or the nearby Minoan ruins of Phaistos and Agia Triada, but among the most fascinating of them are the Matala Caves, which dot the northern cliff face of Matala Bay.
These ancient, man-made caves are carved into the sandstone cliff on the edge of town, some rising as high as 30 metres above the beach below.
Their origins remain a mystery, on account of their age leaving little for archeologists to interpret. While no one is quite sure how old they are, primitive tool marks and ancient pottery imply that the caves are several thousand years old, dating back to the Neolithic era (which for Crete means between 9000 to 7000 BCE).
Equally mysterious is their purpose. There are 2 prevailing theories as to what the caves were used for, that they were either dwellings or tombs; homes for the living or homes for the dead.
But after taking one step inside any of the caves it becomes clear that the latter theory is the more promising. Even inside the largest of the Matala Caves an ordinary-sized adult can’t stand upright, and many of the smaller caves require one to crawl on their hands and knees to navigate.
So, more likely, the caves were tombs, and this is exactly what the Romans would later use them for, causing some archeologists to theorise that they may in fact have been Roman all along. Regardless, the prevailing theory is that the Matala Caves are of Neolithic-origin.
While they may have been too small to be built as homes, this is exactly what the Matala Caves would be used for – several thousand years later.
Come the 1960s and the so-called ‘hippie’ countercultural movement was in full swing. All over the western world, young people rejected the mainstream in favour of more bohemian ideals, such as peace, artistic expression, and spiritual exploration.
The ‘hippie trail’ attracted adventurous young people from across North America and Europe to embark on an overland journey of self discovery and spirituality, taking them from the modernity of Europe, across the Middle East, to usually finding their destination in India and Nepal.
Along this route, the quiet Cretan fishing village of Matala would become a key stop and, for some, the destination. What started as a small colony of French artists in the early 1960s would soon turn into a thriving bohemian enclave of hippies, musicians and all manner of folk from across the world.
In their desire to reject modernity, this community took up residence not in the town itself, but in the cramped and dusty caves just outside it. While once used to house the dead, the caves became home to a lively community.
The Matala hippie commune lasted for years, and at its peak boasted a community of over 200 people from all over the world and all walks of life. From your stereotypical ‘hippie’ characters, to AWOL military runaways escaping the Vietnam draft, to political refugees – the Matala Caves welcomed all.
Among them included some that would later become household names, such as singer-songwriters Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell, the latter of whom mentioned the caves in her 1971 hit ‘Carey’.
By the late 70s the Matala Caves were home to a thriving community that, in the words of former cave-dweller Evelyn von Almassy, would spend their time “visiting neighbours, cleaning or decorating their caves, making music or preparing the evening meal.”
Evelyn recalls mornings spent at the beach, and communal meals in the big cave followed by music and shared hash. There was no electricity, merely a single generator, which was used to power a projector and watch movies on a sheet strung between trees.
To the cave-dwellers, the community they had created was something special. Each was running from something, and found meaning in these caves. But it would soon come to an end.
Across the world, the countercultural movement would inevitably come into conflict with existing institutions and ideologies. For the Matala Cave community, this would come in the form of the Greek Orthodox Church and the so-called Regime of the Colonels, the military junta that seized power in 1967.
Despite the community’s claims that they were only interested in “easy living, austere eating and philosophising”, the Greek government, and some members of the Matala township, saw the cave-dwelling community as an affront to decency, and a corrupting influence on children. An authoritarian and strongly anti-communist government, the Regime’s values conflicted with the free-loving, anti-establishment sentiments of the Matala community.
And so, in early 1970, the Greek military government ordered that the caves be vacated by May 31st of that year, abruptly ending the almost decade-long community.
The community may have been driven out, and overnight stays prohibited, but the following years saw the Greek government acknowledge the caves’ historical significance.
Soon a fence was built, railings were installed and a ticket booth opened. Today the caves are managed by the Greek Archeological Service and open during the day to visitors for a small fee of €2.
The hippie commune may have been driven out, but the spirit of it still remains. Inside the caves visitors can see the faded but colourful murals leftover from the former residents, alongside the ancient burial chambers from the Neolithic era, offering an unusual contrast.
The Matala Caves are open all year round, but during the off-season visitors can expect to have them largely to themselves. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket booth at the entrance to the caves, accessible from the beach.
The lower caves are relatively easy to explore, but reaching the higher caves requires a little rock climbing and some careful treading along narrow edges. Those adventurous enough to explore the upper-most caves will be rewarded with the best view in town.
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