Neptune's Grotto (Italian: Grotta di Nettuno; Catalan: Cova de Neptú) is a stalactitecave near the town of Alghero on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The cave was discovered by local fishermen in the 18th century and has since developed into a popular tourist attraction.[1] The grotto gets its name from the Roman god of the sea, Neptune.
The entrance to the grotto lies only around a metre above the sea level at the foot of the 110-metre-high Capo Caccia cliffs and the cave can therefore only be visited when the waters below are calm.[2] A stairway cut into the cliff in 1954, the 654-step escala del cabirol (goat's steps), leads from a car park at the top of the cliff down to the entrance.[1][3] The grotto is also accessible via a short boat trip from the port of Alghero; these trips are arranged hourly during the summer, but less frequently during spring and autumn.[1] Two other grottoes lie nearby, the "Green grotto", which is not open to tourists, and the Grotta di Ricami, which is only accessible from the sea.[2] Under water all around there are many big under water marine caves, paradise for the scuba-diving fans, the bigger and the most famous is the Nereo Cave, visited each year by thousands of scuba divers.
The combined length of the cave system is estimated to be around 4 kilometers, but only a few hundred metres are accessible to the public.[2] Inside are passages of lit stalactite and stalagmite formations, and a 120-metre-long saltwater lake, which is at sea level. The cave was once a habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal, which has become extinct in the area.[4]
TourismEdit
Tourists visiting Neptune's Grotto are given guided tours and led single-file through a lit pathway, with tour guides providing information about the cave in Italian and English. The visit lasts for one hour. The grotto is widely visited, and during the peak tourist season in August, can contain around 200 people at a time. [5]
Neptune's Grotto was the set of the movie Island of the Fishmen, filmed in the summer of 1978. For approximately two months the Grotto was transformed into a gigantic set. The science fiction movie starred Barbara Bach, and was under the direction of Sergio Martino.
Media related to Neptune's Grotto at Wikimedia Commons
Article about the Neptune Cave
Media related to Neptune's Grotto at Wikimedia Commons
October 24, 2023
neptune, grotto, structure, potsdam, germany, neptune, grotto, italian, grotta, nettuno, catalan, cova, neptú, stalactite, cave, near, town, alghero, island, sardinia, italy, cave, discovered, local, fishermen, 18th, century, since, developed, into, popular, t. For the structure in Potsdam Germany see Neptune Grotto Neptune s Grotto Italian Grotta di Nettuno Catalan Cova de Neptu is a stalactite cave near the town of Alghero on the island of Sardinia Italy The cave was discovered by local fishermen in the 18th century and has since developed into a popular tourist attraction 1 The grotto gets its name from the Roman god of the sea Neptune Grotta di Nettuno Neptune s GrottoCoves de NeptuInside the caveLocation of the caves in ItalyLocationCapo Caccia Alghero SS Sardinia Italy Coordinates40 33 53 N 8 09 37 E 40 5648486 N 8 1601399 E 40 5648486 8 1601399Length4 000 mElevation5 mGeologySea caveEntrances1AccessPublicShow cave opened1959Show cave length500 mWebsiteGrotte di NettunoThe stairway leading to the cave The Organ Player Pareidolia phenomenon in the grotto Contents 1 Overview 2 Tourism 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksOverview EditThe entrance to the grotto lies only around a metre above the sea level at the foot of the 110 metre high Capo Caccia cliffs and the cave can therefore only be visited when the waters below are calm 2 A stairway cut into the cliff in 1954 the 654 step escala del cabirol goat s steps leads from a car park at the top of the cliff down to the entrance 1 3 The grotto is also accessible via a short boat trip from the port of Alghero these trips are arranged hourly during the summer but less frequently during spring and autumn 1 Two other grottoes lie nearby the Green grotto which is not open to tourists and the Grotta di Ricami which is only accessible from the sea 2 Under water all around there are many big under water marine caves paradise for the scuba diving fans the bigger and the most famous is the Nereo Cave visited each year by thousands of scuba divers The combined length of the cave system is estimated to be around 4 kilometers but only a few hundred metres are accessible to the public 2 Inside are passages of lit stalactite and stalagmite formations and a 120 metre long saltwater lake which is at sea level The cave was once a habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal which has become extinct in the area 4 Tourism EditTourists visiting Neptune s Grotto are given guided tours and led single file through a lit pathway with tour guides providing information about the cave in Italian and English The visit lasts for one hour The grotto is widely visited and during the peak tourist season in August can contain around 200 people at a time 5 Neptune s Grotto was the set of the movie Island of the Fishmen filmed in the summer of 1978 For approximately two months the Grotto was transformed into a gigantic set The science fiction movie starred Barbara Bach and was under the direction of Sergio Martino See also EditNereo Cave List of caves in ItalyReferences Edit a b c Guide to Grotta di Nettuno algherosardinia net Archived from the original on 2017 03 02 Retrieved 2008 04 09 a b c Alghero und ihre Tropfsteinhohlen die Grotte di Nettuno casa cravallet de in German and Italian Archived from the original on 2007 12 14 Retrieved 2008 04 09 Maggie O Sullivan 2003 08 12 Sardinia In splendid subterranea The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 2008 04 21 Retrieved 2021 11 11 Grotta di Nettuno hellosardinia com Archived from the original on 2008 01 31 Retrieved 2008 04 09 Gruta de Neptuno in Spanish External links EditOfficial site about the Neptune Cave nbsp Media related to Neptune s Grotto at Wikimedia Commons Article about the Neptune Cave nbsp Media related to Neptune s Grotto at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Neptune 27s Grotto amp oldid 1139297178, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
