The Cave of Melissani in Kefalonia: Situated just outside Sami, the Cave of Melissani has a strange appeal. It is one of the most significant places for tourists to visit in Greece. Surprisingly, a lake lies inside the cave, with trees and forests surrounding it.
The cave is B-shaped, with two chambers or halls separated by an island in the center. The first chamber is sun-lit while the second is dark and has many stalactites covered with algae and moss. Even though big in size, they are dwarfed by the huge dome. Surprisingly, many of the stalactites resemble dolphins, the companions and messengers of the nymphs. This chamber is lit with electric lights.
The roof of one of the halls caved in centuries ago, letting sunlight filter in. The depth of the lake is 20 to 30 meters. When the sun is right overhead at noon, the sunlight hitting the turquoise-blue waters creates a magical illusion and the whole Cave of Melissani suddenly feels lit with blue light.
This is the best time to visit this cave; slanting rays in the morning and evening have a magical quality and guests get an ethereal feeling of boats hovering in the light!
Melissani is 36m high, 40m wide and 3.5 m long. A balcony was built on top of the cave for tourists to get a spectacular view of the inside from the top.
The water in the lake is a mixture of freshwater and seawater. It is about 500m away from the sea and the water is 1m above sea level. The brackish water enters the Cave of Melissani from one end and flows out from the other. Water is replenished by the springs gushing underneath the 30m in-depth water inside. The Cave of Melissani leaves a memorable and lasting impression on everyone who visits it.
Myth has it that the cave was named after the nymph Melissanthi who committed suicide because God Pan did not reciprocate her love.
Excavations in 1962 that unearthed many artifacts dating back to the 3rd and 4th century BC give credence to the legend, as figures of nymphs were found.
Visitors can enter Melissani Cave after walking an underground path. Then, they can step into a boat and take a tour of the cave.
