Melissani Cave

Exploring Kefalonia's subterranean world couldn't be easier.

Melissani Cave, or Lake Melissani, is conveniently located between Sami and Agia Effimia on Kefalonia in Greece. We visited on the first day the cave was open for the season (yes, this is a tourist attraction), and luckily had the place almost to ourselves. Entry costs €7 per adult, but includes a little paddle around the underground lake and into the covered section of tthe cave. Our guide told us that during high season, more than 2,000 tourists pass through here each day.

This cave was discovered in the 50s after part of the ceiling collapsed, and in the 60s was opened for tourism. We’re glad to have stopped when no one else was around, so we had a private boat ride, but if we had to stand in line for hours we probably would have continued on our road trip to avoid the crowds.