Grotto of Neptune is one of the largest and most famous sea caves in Italy. This place should be visited at least once in a lifetime. In the grotto located under the cliff of Capo Caccia, you can find a lake, a beach and fantastically beautiful mountain deposits.
History
In the 18th century, a local fisherman from Sardinia who went fishing along the coast discovered a depression opening on one side of the cliff. This opening, located one meter above sea level (in calm weather), turned out to be a passage into a stunningly beautiful grotto with many deposits in karst rocks - stalactites and stalagmites.
The grotto was named after the Roman god of the sea. The local legend eventually became one of the tourist attractions.
Promotional video:
How to get to the grotto
The Grotto of Neptune is located outside the Porto Conte park, and you can get into it by a staircase called Escala del Cabirol (Catalan means “staircase of the royal deer”): 656 steps descend along the western side of Capo Caccia headland to the mouth of the cave. In addition, you can reach the entrance to the grotto by sea, by boat, leaving daily from the pier in the port of Alghero. This will allow you to admire the beautiful view of the cliffs from the sea.
You can get into the grotto along a stone corridor with a large number of stalactites and stalagmites. The length of the underground passages is about four kilometers, but only the first few hundred meters are open to the public.
What's inside
Inside the cave there is a kilometer-long beach with white sand, an underground salt lake Lamarmor, almost ten meters deep, and four halls. The road will lead you to the Reggia Hall, where an 18-meter column rises to the vault of the cave, forming two imposing arches.
Another row of columns (nine meters high) will lead you to the lake from where you can admire the beach. In addition, you will find in the caves the Hall of Ruins and the Smith Hall, named after the English captain who discovered it in the 19th century. Its other name is the Organ Hall. In the center you can find the Great Organ - a column, which with its branches resembles the pipes of this musical instrument. The last room is called the Hall of Lace.
The limestone rocks were formed about two million years ago. The Grotto of Neptune attracts not only tourists, but also speleologists - geologists who study the structure of caves. Only they are allowed to enter the depths of the grotto. In the caves under Capo Caccia there are other places that are interesting to visit: for example, the Verde grotto, the entrance to which is almost under water, so you can swim there (only under the guidance of an accompanying guide), as well as the underwater cave of Nereo.
Author: Maxim Ewald