Melissani cave - Kefalonia (Greece)
The Melissani cave, The cave and the underground lake Melissani, are located two kilometers northwest of Sami in Kefalonia, near Karavomilos. It is one of the most interesting tourist places on the island. This cave was discovered in 1951 by a Greek speleologist. The Melissani cave was discovered after part of the roof collapsed. At the entrance are stairs and a long underground corridor making it more accessible. The lake is located about twenty meters below the ground and the depth of the water ranges from ten to thirty meters.
Very impressive are the stalactites in the cave. The cave can be visited by tourists who buy a ticket and take a tour with a small boat. Visiting the cave is more than worth it. The boat trip takes about 15 minutes. When the sun is high, the cave is impressive, because the colours are more bright blue and the atmosphere is magical. Lake Melisani was in antiquity a religious place for the God "Pana" and the nymph "Melissani", hence the name "Melissani Lake. Pana was in Greek mythology the God who received the souls in the underworld before they were incarnated. According to legend, the nymph "Melissani" committed suicide here because of the fact that "Pan" didn’t fall in love with her. On a rock in the cave are images of antiquity found among others, the statue of Pan, a clay disk that shows how nymphs were dancing and a small statue with a female figure.
Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften Gee
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Melissani cave in other languages
Melissani grot (GriekseGids.nl)
Melissani grot (GriekseGids.be)
Melissani cave (GreeceGuide.co.uk)
Melissani cave (GriechenlandWeb.de)
Kefalonia: Where on the map is Melissani cave located?
