Drogarati Cave

Drogarati was revealed about three hundred years ago when an earthquake opened a way in, and it has been lit for visitors since 1963. The main chamber, called the Chamber of Exaltation, measures roughly 45 by 65 metres with a ceiling around twenty metres high, densely hung with stalactites and rising stalagmites, some still growing. Its acoustics are unusually good, and concerts have been held inside, most famously by Maria Callas. A stairway of about 120 steps descends from the entrance, and the temperature holds around eighteen degrees with high humidity. The cave sits close to Melissani, the lake cave whose collapsed roof lets sunlight strike blue water, and most visitors combine the two in a morning.

What you actually see

• The Chamber of Exaltation - a large hall dense with formations.
• The concert acoustics - the space used for performances inside the cave.
• The stalactite ceiling - thick growth over the whole chamber.
• The stair descent - about 120 steps from the surface to the floor.

When to go

Year-round; the cave is cool in summer and sheltered in winter, and it pairs with Melissani, which is at its best at midday when sun reaches the water.

Honest expectations

The visit is short, twenty to thirty minutes, and the stairs rule it out for limited mobility. Humidity fogs cameras and lenses. In peak season groups arrive by coach and the chamber gets loud.

Nearby

Melissani cave and Karavomylos are minutes away; Antisamos beach lies beyond Sami.