Caves near Sami: Melissani and Drogarati
Going without a car?Every tour here picks you up in Argostoli and cancels free up to 24 hours before. Reserve the date now, decide later.
Check tour availabilityMelissani
A collapsed-roof karst lake, geosite 25 of the Kefalonia–Ithaca UNESCO Global Geopark: an open chamber under the hole, a closed chamber of stalactites beyond a rope passage, an islet with a sanctuary of Pan, and brackish water that crossed the island underground from Argostoli. Ten to fifteen minutes by boat, a ticket of about ten euros, the light at its best 11:00 to 14:00.
Drogarati
About 60 m down by roughly 150 steps to a main chamber 65 by 45 m and 20 m high, a constant 18 °C, stalactites, and acoustics good enough for a documented 2014 orchestral concert. Self-guided, 15 to 20 minutes, a ticket of a few euros on its own or a combined ticket with Melissani. Open since 1963, like Melissani. Which to do first.
Karavomylos lake
Not a cave but the end of the same story: a small brackish spring lake by the shore about 1 km from Sami harbour, named after the iron boat-wheel of an old water-mill, where the water that surfaces in Melissani reaches the sea. It was one of the two places the 1963 dye test came out. The dye test and the geology.
“Famous caves in Greece”
Searches for the famous caves of Greece land here because Melissani is usually the picture at the top of the list. The two caves at Sami are the only show caves on this site, and this page does not pad the list with names it cannot vouch for. Five of the six tours here visit both caves in one morning; the nine-hour island day adds the monastery, a winery and Fiscardo around them. Every tour compared.
Book the island day with both caves
Nine hours with hotel pickup: Agios Gerasimos, a Robola winery, Drogarati, Melissani, Fiscardo and the Myrtos viewpoint. Cave fees paid on arrival. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Frequently asked questions
How many caves are there near Sami?
Two show caves: Melissani at Karavomylos and Drogarati at Chaliotata, about five minutes apart by car and open the same hours. Karavomylos lake by the shore is the outlet of the same underground water. Where they are on the map.
Can I see both caves in one morning?
Yes. Drogarati is 15 to 20 minutes inside and Melissani 30 to 60 without a queue, with five minutes’ drive between them and one combined ticket for both. Timings for both.
Which is the most famous cave in Greece?
Melissani is the one most often pictured, for the open roof and the turquoise water at midday. It is a ten-euro ticket and a ten-minute boat; whether it is worth it depends mostly on the hour you arrive.