The Melissani Cave is located just outside the village of Sami, 10 kilometers from the capital Argostoli, on the east coast of the island of Kefalonia. In addition to the splendid karst cave in this place you will also find a beautiful sunlit lake that crosses the area of the collapsed quarry, due to the earthquake that hit Kefalonia in 1953. The colors of the water are splendid and the baths you will do will be unforgettable!
The characteristics of the Cave and of Lake Melissani
The Melissani Cave is 40 meters wide, 160 meters long and 36 meters high. The lake instead has a temperature of 10 ° degrees and is 60 meters long, 40 wide and 39 meters deep.
Inside the cave you can admire 20,000-year-old stalactites and other rock formations, such as the lovely 30-meter islet located right in the center of the lake. The other things you can observe are the stalactites and stalagmites that cover the walls and decorate them as only nature can do.
The peculiarity that attracts most visitors to the cave is the type of water. In fact, the lake being directly connected to the sea, is both fresh and salt water, in short, a more special place than this we are sure you will not find it!
The history of the Melissani Cave
Once the Melissani cave played a fundamental role in the life of the inhabitants of Kefalonia, the place was dedicated to the nymph Melissanthi and was considered sacred. Inside were found objects that testify to antiquity, which in their own way tell what was going on inside the cave. The main findings were: a tray with the image of the god Pan, a small terracotta icon and an ancient lamp. The statuette of Pan gives us the opportunity to understand what the purpose of the people who frequented this cave was and what rites were held in honor of the god Pan, or orgiastic rites.
The cave was rediscovered by Giannis Petrohilos in 1951, but was only opened to the public in 1963.
The legend of the nymph Melissanthi
The nymph Melissanthi, in love with the god Pan, half man and half goat, decided to commit suicide by throwing himself into the lake after he refused his love. For this reason the lake was then given the name of the nymph who changed over the years into Melissani.
How to reach the Melissani Cave?
To visit it, you must reach the site with a rental car, which you can then leave in the free parking. After parking you will have to go down on foot following the path that reaches the lake. Once you arrive you can decide whether to continue the visit by following the pedestrian tunnel or whether to buy one of the boat tours for € 7. In both cases you can admire the rooms of the cave and the interesting islets that are located inside the quarry. If you decide to use one of the boats, know that in 15 minutes you will be able to observe the splendid surrounding scenery, while the speaker will explain all the curiosities and information on the formation of the cave.
Visiting hours?
The site is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00.
It is a mystical place to say the least suggestive, visiting it is one of the things you absolutely must do before leaving the island of Kefalonia.