The spectacular Caves of Neptune in Alghero

The Caves of Neptune in Alghero are spectacular karst formations that date back to prehistoric times. 

A local fisherman discovered them in the 18th century, and since then they have been a major tourist destination, but also a major draw for cavers, the only ones who can access all the existing tunnels.

How to access:

To visit them, one can descend the 645 steps that form the Escala del Cabirol (stairway of the roe deer) that climbs the Capo Caccia massif. The other option is to get there by sea with boats that leave from Alghero or Capo Caccia. The public can visit only part of it compared to the total 4 km.

The formations that can be visited by the public:

• Lake La Marmora: an underground salt lake, among the largest salt lakes in Europe, which at its center has a large columnar stalagmite known as the Acquasantiera because it contains fresh water in the small basins located at the top
• The Hall of Ruins: its name comes from the damage caused by visitors in the 1800s
• The Hall of the Reggia: features majestic calcitic columns up to 18 meters high
• The Organ Room ( or Smith Room by one of the early explorers): inside is a column, the most majestic, whose drippings resemble the pipes of an organ
• The Hall of Trine and Lace: a hall made of small columns
• The Music Tribune: a kind of balcony overlooking the Palace and the lake

Find out how to visit Neptune's caveshere

Photo by Danilo Carta from Pixabay