Dragorati Cave Kefalonia

The famous and stupendous Dragorati Cave, we find them near the village of Sami on the east side about half of the island precisely near the village of Chaliotata. Near the caves the Melissani Lake, another magnificent attraction of Kefalonia, where you come across a lake of fresh and salt water with a constant temperature of about ten degrees from the waters of indescribable colors, you must necessarily see it to understand.

One of the most important in Greece, a real rare geological phenomenon at a height of 120 meters above sea level, a depth of about 60 meters and a continuous temperature of 18 degrees with a humidity of 90%.

Discovered just three hundred years after a strong earthquake that caused the upper part to collapse, allowing it to enter, it was already known to the inhabitants of Kefalonia from a long time before. According to archaeological studies, it dates back to more than one hundred million years ago and consists of two large rooms, the first called "Royal Balcony", the second "Apotheosis Room". According to scholars, however, the cave is much wider with other rooms communicating with each other by underground tunnels that have yet to be discovered. It was only opened to the public in 1963 after many years of research and safety.

Formed by stalactites and stalagmites of different colors shaped by the water, it is estimated that these beautiful natural works of art grow by about one centimeter every hundred years. Let's say, however, that given the frequency of seismic tremors affecting the Ionian area and human activity do not help much to its growth, and in this regard, please do not touch them because the oils of our skin form an insulating patina not allowing the drops to take root in the formations.

The first room, the Royal Balcony, reachable from a long corridor about one hundred meters deep, has a platform of cylindrical-shaped deposits that start from the ceiling and the floor, created by the chemical phenomenon of carbon dioxide loss from the drops of water that they transform into calcium bicarbonate, with an irregular shape rather than cut or broken always due to earthquakes, which reflect light extraordinarily.

The second, the Hall of Apotheosis, on the other hand, is lower in height but larger in size, we are talking about about 900 square meters, reachable through steep steps. It has a semicircular shape with a beautiful vaulted ceiling with lots of natural incrustations. The peculiarity of this room is the acoustics so much so that on special occasions it is used for concerts and also hosts up to five hundred people. Only here is there an electric lighting that allows you to admire in all its magnificence what Mother Nature has created in this magical place.

It is open in the summer every day from 10 to 17 for a cost of € 5 for adults and € 3 for children with further discounts for groups of over ten people. In other periods, however, the opening hours are Wednesday-Friday-Sunday from 11 to 15, while the remaining days of the week from 10 to 16. At your disposal very prepared guides who will accompany you giving you all the explanations to better understand this. beautiful cave.

If you are coming from the west, keep Argostoli as a reference point and continue towards the village of Sami. At a certain point on the left there is a sign with the indications for the cave which is exactly just after the last curve on the right. There is a convenient parking for your vehicles.

Certainly a stop to be included in the things to do in Kefalonia perhaps together with Lake Melissani to discover something more of this exciting island.