Our family of five, including my teenage kids and my mother-in-law, were on a cruise with Royal Caribbean. When we arrived in Argostoli, we wanted to see Melissani Lake and take the rowboats around the lake, as well as explore Drogarati Cave. Given that it was high season, we were concerned about the crowds, so we decided to book a private driver to take us to all the sites. That turned out to be a great decision. As we got off the ship, the buses were already filling up and leaving for Melissani Lake. We met our driver, Spiros, right away, and he took off and got us ahead of the buses to Melissani Lake. Even though we left early and had a private driver, there was still a line. But it was worth it. Walking down to the underground lake and taking the boat ride around the cave was awesome. Very much worth it. After the lake, we headed to Drogarati Cave. As we were ahead of the bus crowds, there was only a small crowd there, and we easily and quickly got into the caves and had a chance to walk around and explore. It was very hot (100 degrees that day), and the underground caves felt great. In the parking area at the cave, there is a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and even a pool. It was a great place to catch our breath. After Drogarati Cave, Spiros took us on a beautiful ride through the mountains and up to a great view of Myrtos Beach. We had not planned for it, but I recommend extending your tour by an hour and stopping at one of the roadside beaches during your tour. They looked amazing. After our photo op, we headed back down, and Spiros dropped us at Palia Plaka per our request for a locals favorite restaurant. He was right on. The food was amazing, especially the Moussaka. It was an easy walk back to the ship from there. We even saw a sea turtle in the bay. For anyone visiting Argostoli, we highly recommend booking a private driver. The ride was beautiful, and it gave you a sense of the area while providing the flexibility to enjoy the local attractions.












