The Sinkhole of Feneos

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The plateau of Feneos is closed: the water coming down off the mountains has no river to carry it to the sea. Nature solved the problem with sinkholes — natural openings in the limestone that draw the water into the underground system.

The phenomenon

The best known of them is the Trypa of Feneos. When the sinkholes block, the plateau floods and a lake forms; when they clear, the water vanishes. This cycle has been recorded since antiquity and explains why ancient sources speak of the lake of Feneos.

Controlling the flooding preoccupied the area for centuries, with drainage works attempted in both ancient and later times.

Practical notes

• In the Feneos valley, in the mountainous west of Corinthia.
• Combine it with Lake Doxa and the Museum of Ancient Feneos.
• Take care near the openings — the ground can be unstable.