I’ve been wanting to write something about ‘La Grotta di Nettuno’ for a long time.
According to mythology ‘Nettuno’ is the name of a Roman deity of the sea who lived in the depths of the abyss and commanded the sea monsters and the seas….
I visited it last year during my holiday in Sardinia. We had decided to spend 4 days in Alghero, a city located in the northwest part of the island.
Walking along the port of Alghero many stalls along the beach offer you to visit the ‘Grotta di Nettuno’ by sea, there are several boats for tourists that offer the boat ticket plus entrance to the cave.
Having a car, we decided to go there by car, 24 km, also because we wanted to see ‘Capo Caccia’, a panoramic point on the sea.
Public transports in Alghero were a disaster, they were not punctual and 3 out of 10 trips run at any time.
The ticket office was at the end of the road. You can also park along the road near the mountain. The parking in front of the ticket office was small and did not have enough places for the large tourist flow.
I recommend booking entrance tickets through the App. It’s just a reservation, you buy the tickets on the spot, the reservation gives you priority entry. Otherwise there is the risk of having to queue for hours.
From the ticket office you take a staircase down, then it will be up, with 654 stone steps, dug into the rock, it is called ‘la scala del Capriolo’.
The Scala del Capriolo was built along the wall of the Capo Caccia mountain.
For me, walking down and up this staircase was a unique experience, with a breathtaking view of the sea, walking close to a wall makes it unique. It’s gorgeous!
I think that those who choose to arrive by boat are missing out on something special. If you don’t have walking problems, I recommend the Scala del Capriolo. The descent and ascent was not very long, there is no need to run, everyone at their own pace.
When we arrived at the cave there were many people, it is visited by 150,000 visitors every year. We lined up.
The beauty of the “Grotta di Nettuno” is the Lamarmora lake (in my opinion) an underground salt lake, you see it first and it is the most attractive part of the place.
The optical effect, the reflections of the water, the splendid display of art of nature, the cave, the well-positioned lights create something magical which, despite the presence of many tourists, is able to fascinate.
I have read that it is considered one of the largest salt lakes in Europe, it is 9 meters deep, 25 meters wide and 100 meters long.
In the center there is a stalagmite column called “Acquasantiera”, because in the upper part they found a kind of natural container with fresh water.
Continuing on, there are several rooms: the hall of the ruins, the hall of the palace, the pebble beach, the organ hall, the lace and lace hall. In the Music grandstand you are on a terrace overlooking the Reggia room and the lake.
The length of the cave is about 4 km, but it is only a few hundred meters open to the public.
I hope you enjoyed it and if you want you can share the caves you have visited or that have impressed you.
I like the idea of tagging some friends and I hope they will enjoy the idea: @CAAG1959 , @TravellerG , @plavarda , @PattyBlack , @AniaKiser , @renata1 , @Shrut19 , @ErmesT and all other friends…
