A Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour joins a boat ride on a cave lake with a walk through a cave full of stalactites. Island days, boat trips and more caves around Greece are collected on the main page of tours in Greece.
Below you find what the tour is, how long it lasts, where it starts, what the lake and the cave show, who it suits and the questions travellers ask.
What is a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
A Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour is a half-day outing to two caves near Sami. Operators drive visitors to a cave lake that a boat crosses. A second cave holds stalactites and stalagmites.
Wikipedia gives the island behind a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour as the largest of the Ionian Islands. It lies in western Greece. The same article ranks Kefalonia sixth by size among the Greek islands. Only Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios are larger.
A cave, says Wikipedia, is a natural void under the surface of the Earth. Solutional caves form when natural acid in groundwater dissolves rock, and the largest of them lie in limestone. Both caves on this outing sit on that limestone island.
A Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour joins two different caves in one outing. Wikipedia names Melissani as both a cave and a lake. It says visitors can make a round trip there in a small boat. One Kefalonia information page says nature created countless stalactites and stalagmites inside Drogarati. The same page calls Melissani a short drive away.
Operators sell the Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour in different formats. One listing offers shared group tours in an air-conditioned vehicle, led in English or German. It also lists a private option in a minivan or minibus. Another operator lists a bus tour run as a group activity.
A third page describes a shore excursion. It begins at the cruise ship entrance in Argostoli and returns to the same pier. Entry to the caves is not part of it, so visitors pay separately. Two other listings include cave entry. Both also list a local tour leader, and the shore excursion lists an escort.
How long is a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
At one operator, a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour from Argostoli lasts about four hours. The listed stops add up to that time. Other pages list 4.5 hours and 5 hours 30 minutes for versions with extra stops.
The four-hour listing shows a daily start at 11 in the morning and gives every leg in minutes. After pick-up, the drive to Drogarati Cave takes 45 minutes, and the visit inside takes 40. A 20-minute drive follows to Melissani. There the stop, boat ride included, takes about one hour.
The same listing ends with a 20-minute drive to a Myrtos Beach viewpoint and a 10-minute photo stop. A 45-minute transfer back follows. Add the legs and they come to four hours. In a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour built this way, the two caves fill about 100 minutes.
Another page describes a 4.5-hour shore excursion with a different order. It opens with a 20-minute photo stop at Myrtos Beach. Melissani then gets about 30 minutes, half as long as in the four-hour listing. Drogarati gets about 35 minutes here, against 40 minutes there.
The 5 hours 30 minutes Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour adds a tasting of local products. It also leaves time at leisure in the seaside village of Agia Efimia. It visits Drogarati first, then Melissani, and ends at a Myrtos Beach viewpoint. That page says the order of stops can change with traffic, weather or cruise ship times.
The pick-up place also moves the clock. Two operator listings say the transfer from hotels outside Argostoli is not counted in the stated tour time. One adds that this pick-up time comes on top of the scheduled duration. So a four-hour Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour takes longer for a visitor staying far from Argostoli.
Where does a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour start?
Operators start a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour in Argostoli, the capital of the island. They list pick-up at hotels or the port, or a meeting point in town. Guests outside Argostoli face extra transfer time.
Wikipedia describes Argostoli as the capital and administrative centre of Kefalonia, built on a sheltered bay. Ferries use its main port to reach Kyllini on the mainland and Zakynthos. One operator also lists pick-up at Argostoli Port for cruise passengers.
One operator of a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour meets guests at its office in Argostoli. The meeting is 10 minutes before departure. Hotel pick-up in the Argostoli area is included, and guests contact the operator after the reservation to arrange it. The tour returns to Argostoli.
A second operator runs a four-hour Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour. It offers collection and return at the port or at hotels. Its four hours exclude the extra transfer time for a pick-up outside Argostoli. A third operator says the same about hotels outside the town.
The two caves of a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour lie near Sami. Wikipedia places the village of Karavomylos next to both caves. It lies 2 km west of Sami and 15 km northeast of Argostoli. An island information site puts Drogarati 3 km outside Sami.
Sami, a town and municipality, sits on the island’s central east coast, says Wikipedia. Wikivoyage calls it the port town facing Ithaca. The same island information site gives a road tip. Coming from Argostoli, drivers see a post sign on the left shortly before Sami. The turn there leads to the Drogarati parking space.
What do travellers see at Melissani Lake on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
Travellers see an underground lake with clear blue water and a wide opening in the roof that lets in daylight. On a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour, a small boat carries them across the water.
Wikipedia calls Melissani, a stop on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour, a cave and a cenote. A cenote is one type of sinkhole, one that opens up the groundwater below. Wikipedia repeats a claim that the clear water makes boats seem to float on air.
The lake has two chambers. One site describes a dark chamber covered with stalagmites and a second chamber lit by the opening in the roof. Another site puts a small islet beside the stalagmite chamber. A cave website says the boat first makes a round trip of the hall under the opening.
A cave website says the way in is an artificial tunnel, and it ends at a very small pier. Visitors board small rowing boats, and a boatman talks about the geology and history. Two operators of a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour describe the ride. It is shared with other visitors and lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.
One site gives the lake as about 160 metres long, with depths of 10 to 40 metres. Another gives a maximum depth of 30 metres. One information site suggests a visit between 12 noon and 2 in the afternoon, when the sun’s rays are stronger. One operator lists the entry ticket as paid separately.
Greek mythology called Melissani the Cave of the Nymphs, says Wikipedia, and Pan was the nymphs’ companion. One story says the nymph drowned herself in the lake because Pan did not love her back. Wikipedia says sea water sinking near Argostoli passes through the lake. It surfaces at Karavomylos about two weeks later.
What do travellers see in Drogarati Cave on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
On a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour, travellers go down steps to see stalactites and stalagmites. One information site gives the cave a size of 65 x 45 metres and a height of 20 metres. Inside, it is a cool 18 degrees.
Travellers on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour enter Drogarati by a staircase. The Greek national tourism site says it is specially designed, with prepared and lit pathways inside. One travel page calls the steps tricky in places and advises going slowly. Cave explorers also found an extension that visitors cannot reach, says one information site.
One Kefalonia information site says the steps lead down to 60 metres. Wikivoyage describes the cave as 95 metres deep. Both sources give the same floor plan and the same height. The information site says an earthquake revealed the entrance about 300 years ago. It opened to the public in nineteen sixty-three.
Drogarati is the stalactite cave of the Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour. Stalactites hang from its roof and stalagmites rise from its floor. Wikipedia explains that each drop of mineral-laden water in a limestone cave leaves a thin ring of calcite. When a stalactite and a stalagmite meet, they form a column.
Colours differ from one formation to the next. One information site puts this down to minerals in the bedrock. It says each formation gains about 1 cm in a century. Visitors are asked not to touch them, because skin oils stop the lime from building up. Wikipedia says oils and dirt can also stain a formation permanently.
The Royal Balcony is a natural platform above the main chamber. Sources call that chamber the Chamber of Exaltation or the Hall of Apotheosis. The Greek national tourism site calls the acoustics exceptional and says it can host up to 500 people. One information site invites visitors on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour to sing there.
Who is a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour for?
A Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour suits families and first-time visitors, says one tour listing. The same page warns wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges about the steps and uneven surfaces.
One tour listing calls the outing family-friendly. It adds that children need to be comfortable with walking and steps. The same listing names travellers with limited time and people who like geology, mythology or photography. It says the tour is not ideal for anyone who wants extensive hiking or multiple stops.
Mobility is the main limit. One operator lists steps and uneven surfaces at the caves. It expects at least moderate fitness from travellers. One travel page calls the steps at Drogarati tricky in places. Anyone with limited mobility needs to weigh those steps before choosing the outing.
For hot days, a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour offers a cool stop. One information site calls the cool 18 degrees inside a relief in summer heat. A travel page puts the humidity around 90 percent. Two sources agree on footwear: one operator and one tour listing both name comfortable shoes.
Group size differs by operator. One tour listing gives groups of around 13 people in air-conditioned coaches. Another operator lists one air-conditioned coach. That operator says the caves are busier in July and August, with longer queues at the entrances. At Melissani, it lists a short rowing boat ride shared with other visitors.
Drivers find parking at both caves. Wikipedia notes car parks near the Melissani entrance. The Greek national tourism site names a parking area at Drogarati. Wikivoyage says buses link towns and villages, but too seldom to suit tourists. A Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour is the other way to reach both caves.
What else do travellers ask about a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
When are the caves open on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour, and does the schedule change?
The municipality of Sami says both caves are open daily from 10 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. It adds that it will announce any future change to the hours.
Other pages list other hours, so a traveller checks the times with the municipality before the day of the outing. One cave information site lists Drogarati as open from half past 9 until 4 in the afternoon in October. Another site mentions limited opening days in winter.
How do the entry tickets work for the two caves on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
The municipality of Sami lists tickets for both caves of a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour. It lists them cave by cave and gives a telephone number for each cave. Its list also holds an adult Drogarati ticket for visitors who show a Melissani ticket.
A group ticket for more than 20 people is sold by the finance service of the municipality, on working days. The same list also names a private tour outside peak hours and a priority ticket, both for the two caves.
How does the weather affect a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour through the year?
One cave site says cave tours can be affected by weather conditions. Wikipedia describes the summers on the island as hot and sunny and the winters as mild and rainy.
It says summer brings little to no rainfall, with days reaching nearly 30 degrees. Winter days average 14 to 15 degrees, and winter nights 8 to 9 degrees. Wikivoyage adds that September is quieter than July and August, although the rains can start then.
Is photography allowed on a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour, and what does the camera see?
A cave information site says photography is allowed at both caves of a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour. One commercial site goes further and encourages visitors to bring a camera.
The cave information site adds that a balcony once gave a view of the collapsed roof at Melissani. That balcony is now closed to the public and fenced off. It also says yellow electric lamps are the only light inside Drogarati, and flash photos do not show that colour.
What else lies near Sami after a Kefalonia Melissani Lake and Drogarati cave tour?
Wikivoyage says the ferry from the mainland port of Patras arrives at Sami. Wikipedia names Same, now Sami, among the four city-states of the island from at least the sixth century BC. The cave information site places Melissani inside the Kefalonia-Ithaca UNESCO Global Geopark, as Geosite number 25.
Wikivoyage places Antisamos beach near Sami and describes a small bay of blue water and white stones, ringed by mountains. Another page says a visit to the two caves can be combined with a trip to the island’s northernmost beaches.