Page 33 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Corfu & the Ionian Islands

Caves of Kefalloniá ❮❮ 31

Drogkaráti
7 STALACTITES AND
Cave
Located near Sámi, this STALAGMITES
cave (left) is believed to Stalactites thrive in a
be more than one million cave-like environment
years old. Its natural and hang from the
wonders include the ceiling of many caves
creatively named Royal in Kefalloniá. They are
Balcony – a natural plat­ created by mineral
form where visitors can deposits found in rain
that seeps through rock
stand to admire stalac­ and solidifies when it
tites and stalagmites. reaches air. They grow at
Here, too, is the famous a rate of around 10 mm
Chamber of Exaltation, (0.3 in) every 100 years.
which has perfect Stalagmites are the
acoustics and is used structures formed on the
for musical concerts. cave floor by drips from
the stalactites above.
Sakkos Cave
8
Located in Skála,
not far from the location NEED TO KNOW
of the ancient Temple of
Apollo, this cave is com­ Melissáni Cave: MAP
prised of two caverns H5; near Sámi; open
linked by a tunnel, and daily 8am–8pm; adm
has some magnificent Aghia Eleousa Cave:
stalactites and stalag­ MAP H5; near Sámi
mites. Fragments of Agios Gerasimos Cave:
pottery, implements and MAP G6; Lássi
tools found here, as well
as inscriptions, suggest it Angalaki Cave: MAP
may have been a dwelling H5; near Sámi
in ancient times. Zervati Cave: MAP H5;
near Sámi
Loizos Cave
9 Aghia Theodori Cave:
This dramatic cave
is believed to have been MAP H5; near Sámi
Drogkaráti Cave: MAP
a place of worship for H5; near Sámi; open
Caves of Kefalloniá more than 2,000 years. 8am–8pm daily; adm
9 6 5 The remains of a sanc­ Sakkos Cave: MAP J6;
tuary that date to the 9th
Agia near Skála
Kardakáta Effimia century BC were found
1 here. Further excav­ Loizos Cave: MAP G5;
2 Sámi ations revealed near Kardakata
Poulata 4 artifacts that could
0 Faraklata 7 be dated to the Faraklata Cave: Map H5;
Argostóli Mycenaen period, Faraklata
Lássi Peratáta Póros the Geometric • Try to visit early in
Lourdáta period (900– the morning or late in
700 BC) and the the afternoon to avoid
Skála
3 8 Roman period. the crowds in the caves
at the middle of the day.
Faraklata Cave
0 • The route down to the
This lesser­known cave lies on a mountain
caves can be steep and
slope overlooking the Gulf of Argostóli, to the east of the ground damp and
Faraklata village. It is a small, but challenging cave slippery, so watch your
to explore. Excavations have revealed pottery that step or ask for help.
suggest it was a dwelling more than 2,000 years ago.
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