SAMI. Sami is not only the main commercial center of Kefalonia, but also a major tourist destination. It is located 23 kilometres northeast of Argostoli in a beautiful bay and is reached by a mountainous road. Sami is famous for its natural beauty, the Katavothres (underground rivers) and the archaeological excavations. Sami was already known in antiquity and during the Homeric period, since it was one of the four important cities of Kefalonia. In the old Sami you can visit the ruins. From Sami boats sail to Ithaca but also to Lefkada and Igoumenitsa in Epirus. At the harbour there are many shops, restaurants, seafood restaurants, souvlaki tents and cafeterias. The quayside restaurants have private terraces on the dock itself. In the summer evenings it is a lively boulevard with lots of people strolling back and forth.
Other attractions in Sami and surroundings are:
- The cave of Melissani (in Karavomilos which lies two kilometres from Sami) and Lake Melissani which was only discovered when the top of the hill collapsed under which the cave was. In the lake Melissani several important artifacts were found and the legend says that in this lake the nymphe Melissani drowned after her beloved no longer wanted her. In this cave it is therefore a lake where you can sail around by boat. In some places the water here is even 30 meters deep. The incoming sunlight creates a magical atmosphere. The entrance fee is 7 euros for adults and 3.5 Euro for children (prices in May 2010)
- The coastal village of Karavomilos is where the Zervati cave is where rare aquatic plants on the banks of both lakes are found. Karavomilos is located two kilometres north of Sami, the underground water from the Katavothres in Argostoli disappears underground and reappears back in the Melissani cave. From the Melissani cave it flows downhill towards Karavomilos. In Karavomilos there is an old windmill on the pebbly beach and you can swim there.
- The magnificent beach of Antisamos about 4 kilometres from Sami, in the middle of a green wooded bay.
- The Church of the Holy Mother Agrilia from the 5th century.
- The Roman Baths near Sami
- The Drogarati Cave with its impressive stalagmites. The Drogarati Cave is 150 million years old. Here concerts are held.
Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften Gee.