Melissani Cave

The Cave of Melissani, located just outside Sami, has an odd allure. It is one of the Most Beautiful Caves in Greece tourist destination. Surprisingly, there is a lake inside the cave, surrounded by trees and forests. The cave itself is B-shaped, with two chambers or halls separated in the center by land or an island. One of the halls' roofs caved in centuries ago, allowing sunlight to enter. The lake's depth ranges from 20 to 30 meters. When the sun is directly overhead at noon, the sunlight reflecting off the turquoise-blue waters creates a magical illusion, and the entire Cave of Melissani appears to be illuminated with blue light.

Many artifacts dating to the third and fourth centuries BC that were used during the post-classical and early Hellenistic periods were discovered during excavations conducted in 1951 and later in 1962. This legend has been validated by the discovery of nymph figures. Small boats ply the lake inside Melissani's Cave. The cave is 36 meters high, 40 meters wide, and 3.5 meters long. A balcony was built on top of the cave to provide tourists with a spectacular view of the inside.

The first chamber is lit by the sun, while the second is dark and filled with stalactites covered in algae and moss. Despite their size, they are dwarfed by the massive dome. Surprisingly, many of the stalactites resemble dolphins, the nymphs' companions and messengers, according to legend. This chamber is illuminated by electric lights. The lake's water is a mix of freshwater and seawater. It is about 500 meters from the sea, and the water is 1 meter higher than the sea level. The brackish water flows into the Cave of Melissani from one end and out the other. The springs gushing beneath the 30m-deep water inside replenish the water.

Location: Sami, Greece