Melissani Lake Cave

The Melissani Lake Cave, with its idyllic turquoise pond, is a unique geological phenomenon, and is located in Kefalonia at a distance of 2 km northwest of Sami.

The natural entrance of the cave is vertical (dimensions 40 × 50 m.) And was created by the fall of a part of the roof. From this open hole in the roof, the rest of the lake that is inside the cave and is located 20 m below the ground surface, is about 160 m long and the water is 10 m to 40 m deep. Stalactites aged 20.000 years old with strange shapes adorn the largest part of the cave, discovered by Giannis Petrochilos in 1951.

For all these reasons the Melissani lagoon cave is natural attraction of unique beauty and world fame.

The entrance of the visitors is made by an artificial entrance with stairs through a gallery of 60 meters long that allows the visit to the uncovered and bright part of the cave. There, the kind and always smiling boatmen are waiting for the visitors and they will talk about the history of the cave and the guided tour with the blue ones boats, as rowing will make the small circumnavigation of the lake.

In the center of the lake there is a small island, on which were found findings that certify the worship function of the cave as, in ancient times, the prehistoric inhabitants worshiped the god Pan and the presence of female figures, the famous Nymphs. For this reason the Melissani cave is also called Cave of the Nymphs.

Although the cave and the lake are relatively small, the spectacle is impressive as the colors play unique games with the natural light, the rocks and the turquoise colors of the seabed.