Melisani Cave, Kefalonia

We parked our hire car in the dusty carpark of the Melisani Lake. It feels rather odd - as you step out you can see a cafe bar, shop, swimming pool, public toilets (very clean) sunbeds and apartments but no lake. The you see the red-carpeted entrance down into a cave (we looked at each other dubiously.) As you walk down the slope you enter a very tacky gift shop - 'authentic' greek plates, sea-shell creatures, statues of Dionnisus and his enornmous..well lets just say he must be a fertility symbol! Through the gift shop and down another carpeted slope you can just glimpse the opening of a cave ... more

I visited Kefalonia in May/June 2007 and part of an island tour we did included a visit to the wonderful underground lake of Mellisani. The 'red' carpet we walked down towards the underground lake was actually green astro-turf which did seem a little odd but the view and tour that followed had nothing artificial about it and was magical! At the end of the green carpet the boatmen were waiting for visitors to get onboard. I recommend a cardigan or light jacket as the water temperature and the cave itself are cold. You also need good grip on your shoes as the painted wooden boats can be a bit ... more

I visited the underground lake in 2006, It is a beautiful an idyllic place once inside and it is worth a visit, but it is not as grand a huge as the advertising suggests. Outside is a dusty stone/hardcore car park with a small shop and toilet on it. The entrance is a set of stone steps leading underground to a narrow tunnel ,quite cramped a not for the claustrophobic. Inside is actually quite small and the tour on the boats is a very short experience, but the scenery is beautiful, the colour of the water alone is so vibrant. Personally i would recommend a visit as it is beautiful and probably ... more