The entrance to the grotto lies only about 1 metre above sea level at the foot of the 110-metre high Capo Caccia cliffs. The cave can only be visited when the waters below are calm. A stairway cut into the cliff in 1954, the 654-step escala del cabirol - or goat's steps - leads from a car park at the top of the cliff down to the entrance. The grotto is also accessible via a short boat trip from the port of Alghero.
Inside, the grotto features passages of lit stalactite and stalagmite formations. It also contains a 120-metre long saltwater lake which sits at sea level. While the combined length of the cave system is estimated to be around 4 km, only approximately 300 m are accessible to the public. The cave was once a habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal, which is now extinct in the area.
Discovered by local fishermen in the 18th century, the cave is named after the Roman god of the sea. Today, tourists are given guided tours through a lit pathway. The visit lasts for one hour and can accommodate around 200 people at a time during the peak tourist season in August.
Neptune's Grotto also holds a place in popular culture. In the summer of 1978, the grotto was transformed into a gigantic set for approximately two months to film the science fiction movie Island of the Fishmen, starring Barbara Bach and Claudio Cassinelli.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, Wikipedia
Written by Sardinian
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