Melissani Cave

Melissani lies about 2 km north-west of Sami, near the village of Karavomylos, in a landscape of soft limestone shaped by water. Over a very long time, water dissolved the rock and opened a large cavern. Then part of the cavern roof collapsed, leaving an opening about 50 by 30 metres and a lake that is open to the sky in one half and under a rock ceiling in the other. Speleologists describe the cavern as roughly 150 metres long and 60 metres wide, with a central islet between its two halls; the water is up to about 30 metres deep.

The lake lies about 500 metres from the sea and only about a metre above sea level, and its water is brackish — a mix of fresh water and seawater. Where that seawater comes from is one of Kefalonia's great natural puzzles. On the other side of the island, near Argostoli, the sea flows into the land through sinkholes known as the Katavothres. In 1963 the speleologist Ioannis Petrochilos and two Austrian hydrogeologists poured 140 kg of green dye into the Katavothres. Fourteen days later it appeared here at Melissani and in the springs of Karavomylos, after crossing the island underground.

The cave was mentioned by a German geographer in 1890, but it was first properly explored in 1951 by Giannis Petrochilos, who found an ancient oil lamp on the islet in the middle of the lake. Excavations on the islet in the following decade, led by the archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos, uncovered clay figurines of the god Pan, plates with images of nymphs, and lamps — evidence that the cave was a place of worship in antiquity. The finds are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli.

The name comes from a local legend: the nymph Melissanthi loved Pan, and when her love was not returned she drowned herself in the lake. Whether you believe it or not, it is hard to stand in the half-light of the cave and not see why the ancients thought this was a sacred place.

The site was opened to visitors in 1963, when the entrance tunnel was dug, and is now one of the geosites of the Kefalonia–Ithaca UNESCO Global Geopark.

You walk down a short tunnel to a landing stage on the lake, where boatmen row small groups across the water — first through the sunlit open half, then into the darker cave beyond the islet, and back. The ride takes about 15 minutes. Photography is allowed and the colours are easy to capture on a phone.

When to go. The famous effect happens when the sun is high and its rays fall straight onto the water, so late morning to early afternoon gives the most dramatic colour. That is also the busiest time in summer; expect a queue in July and August. On cloudy days and early or late in the day, the lake is calmer and still beautiful, just less luminous.

Entrance fee. In 2026 the ticket costs €10 for adults and €5 reduced, paid on site. Opening hours are longer in summer and limited in winter; check before you go if you visit outside the main season.

• By road: Melissani is signposted from the main road between Sami and Agia Efimia, with parking near the entrance.
• Combine it: Drogarati Cave is only a few kilometres away on the other side of Sami, and Sami and Agia Efimia are both minutes away by car.
• On an excursion: Melissani is a standard stop on island tours that cover the east coast; the entrance fee is paid separately at the cave.

• The boats are small and step down from a landing stage — tell staff if you need help getting in.
• It is noticeably cooler in the cave than outside.
• Water from the lake flows out to the sea at Karavomylos, where a small lake and a seaside path are worth a short stop.